T/N: Thank you so much to Desuma for the Kofi donation! Here’s a double update!

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The other party did not get angry because of the invitation to “please come in if you’re sick.” Instead, they continued to drink tea, coax the child, and keep company with the pregnant woman, chatting and smiling in a harmonious atmosphere. It truly didn’t look like they were here for negotiations.

“What are you two doing here just standing here and not going in?” Liang Shu stepped through the courtyard gate.

“We don’t dare to go in, because we don’t know what will happen,” Gao Lin replied in a whisper, pointing covertly into the room. “It looks too strange. Truly, it would be better to have a group of jungle savages clad in animal skins.”

As soon as he finished speaking, he was kicked by Liang Shu. The people in the room also stood up one after another at this time. Liang Shu glanced around. He had originally thought that the old man would be the clan leader representing them in these negotiations, but soon discovered that this was not the case. The statuses of this group of people seemed to be completely equal, and they did not rely on anyone in particular.

Unlike ordinary people, they did not salute His Royal Highness Xiao Wang, who was above tens of thousands, and only bowed slightly. The child followed suit and called “Your Highness,” in a sweet voice. She had her hair tied up in two small round buns, like a little fairy in a New Year painting, pink and white, cute and delicate. Even Cheng Suyue, who always avoided children, couldn’t help but hook her hand at her.

The little girl jumped up and ran over. Cheng Suyue held her up, the two of them looking like mother and daughter. Liu Xian’an also smiled and held one of her fingers: “May I have your name?”

The other party responded obediently: “Xiao Xun.”

Gao Lin gave his sister a silent thumbs up. You took the opponent’s treasure without hesitation, well done!

While Liu Xian’an was coaxing the child, he turned to look at her tribe. Although they were so rich that they paved their floors with gold bricks, they obviously didn’t care about dressing up. The women were not seen wearing gold or silver, and the men were all wrapped in coarse robes. This rough and unruly style of dress was very familiar to the Sleeping Immortal, who had been standing barefoot in the bamboo forest since he was young and wandering the skies.

The other party also noticed Liu Xian’an at this time, perhaps seeing a shadow of Liu Xianche in his features. One of the men asked: “Second Young Master Liu?”

“That is me.” Liu Xian’an nodded and asked, “What should I call you?”

“We are the descendants of the Silver Scimitar Moon Tribe,” the man replied modestly. “Our ancestors have lived in the deep southwest forests for generations.”

Silver Scimitar Moon Tribe. Liu Xian’an had never read these words in a book, but on the cliff of the Valley of Ten Faces, there was a scene engraved of an immoral stepping on the clouds and descending, the crescent moon like a silver scimitar. The meeting between the two parties was not as tense as expected, and there was even a bit of harmony. Liang Shu took the lead to say: “I invited you all to my camp this time because of the Baifu Sect. I’ve heard that they once hid a large amount of treasure in the forest?”

“Yes,” a woman admitted very readily. “That empty forest has no white fog like elsewhere, and the view is excellent. It was originally a place where we drank and admired the moon.”

But at some point, warehouses were built one after another surrounded by wooden fences. The people of the Silver Scimitar Moon Tribe didn’t want to confront them at first, so they found another empty forest space and existed in peace with them for a period of time. But who could have expected that the intruders would become more and more arrogant? Not only did they endlessly expand the warehouses, but they almost took away several children who were playing outside.

Therefore, everyone in the tribe decided to drive away these uninvited guests, not expecting that the other party would move faster. Perhaps it was those children who could move freely through the forest miasma that aroused their curiosity. In any case, the people of the Baifu Sect went into the dense forest again with their crossbows and torches.

The sound of logging was continuously heard, and the torches lit the dead grass, burning a path through the airtight vines. This disrespectful behavior completely infuriated the Scimitar Silver Moon Tribe. They carried longbows on their backs and rode atop elephants like gods rumbling down to earth, and drove all the bandits out. When cleaning up the battlefield, they did not forget to take away the gold and silver.

Gao Lin regarded the group of fairy-like people in front of them with admiration in his heart. He admired them not only for defeating the cult, but also for how they could seize people’s money so confidently—to be fair, since the Baifu Sect’s hands were full of ill-gotten wealth, wasn’t this like thieves robbing other thieves?

Of course, his prince didn’t count. He wasn’t a thief.

Liang Shu asked: “Where is that batch of silver and gold now?”

“It is still in scattered piles in the forest,” the man said. “That group of people were trying to plunder wealth and behaved like unscrupulous beasts, and not even the children were spared. There was no trace of humanity at all. The so-called five-color blindness^[1] is truly pitiful and abominable.”

“It is indeed abominable.” Liang Shu nodded in agreement and said, “Now they have kidnapped my commander and demand that the treasure be used to exchange him, or they will kill the hostage. As a last resort, I came up with this strategy and invited you all to the camp to discuss it.”

“There is such a thing?” When everyone heard this, they were very surprised, sighing and lamenting. That rare batch of goods just got in the way. They never thought it would drive people in the world to such madness.

Cheng Suyue didn’t quite understand, but Gao Lin beside her nodded in agreement. His sister was very puzzled and asked him in a whisper, “You actually understand?”

Gao Lin replied, ah, yes, isn’t this very straightforward? We need to send that batch of goods to the torture chamber.

Cheng Suyue: “……” Forget it, I shouldn’t have cultural expectations of you.

Fortunately, there was Second Young Master Liu next to them who could explain. He turned his head and said: “This means that gold and silver breed greed, so it is not a good thing.”

But whether something was good or not depended on whose hands it fell into. For example, Liang Shu was at the stage where gold and silver were pleasing to the eye. He asked politely: “I wonder if you can return it all to me?”

The man said: “Return it?”

“Return it.” Liang Shu nodded. “You have lived in the south for a long time, so you may not know much about foreign affairs. The Baifu Sect has been operating throughout Dayan for many years, and all the property obtained was plundered from the hands of the common people. If this batch of gold and silver can be returned to the national treasury, even if it cannot be returned to the original owners one by one, it can at least do some good for the people in the southwest. It would be a pity to leave it to pave the forest paths.”

“Our tribe avoids the outside world, but we are not completely ignorant of it.” The old man had been eating the snacks made by the Jiangnan chef for a long time, and now finally had time to speak. He said slowly, “As the saying goes, a sage has no fame if he has no knowledge. Although the prince has traveled all over thousands of li, can his knowledge be fresh if he heard it from far away?”

Gao Lin: “……”

The old white-bearded man says words that normal people couldn’t understand and is walking back and forth on my prince’s inverse scale. He won’t be convinced.

Liang Shu remained calm: “How much does this elder know about the Baifu Sect?”

Gao Lin patted his sister’s arm. Are you learning? As expected of the prince, he not only chose and answer that can be understood, but he also threw the question back in such a noble tone.

“Much.” The old man said, “Although I haven’t seen it with my eyes or heard it with my own ears, there are only a few ways that cults control people’s hearts. They are certainly evil, but with all due respect, even if this batch of gold and silver is returned to the hands of the prince, it may not necessarily be a good thing for the people in the southwest or the country.”

Liang Shu raised his eyebrows: “How so?”

“Everyone is praising today’s emperor for governing the country with clarity, and praising the prince for his strict management of the military. But at the root of it, various harsh methods are used to prevent people from speaking out, in order to create an illusion of peace in the world. If this batch of gold and silver fills the national treasury, it will be distributed to more officials and soldiers. Then the power and weapons in the hands of the officials and soldiers will intertwine into a network to make the common people more silent and afraid to speak. Can this be called a good thing?”

Liu Xian’an stood forward slightly. Before he was forcibly pulled out of Baihe Mountain Village, he often went to the Three Thousand Worlds to discuss with the sages whether a country should be ruled with wisdom, but today was different from the past. Both the breadth and depth of his thinking had changed slightly. He was about to refute, but Liang Shu had already spoken: “This lord thinks it is a good thing.”

Gao Lin also thought, it is a good thing, but we must at least make up a few smooth reasons. He had originally expected Second Young Master Liu to come forward to help, but never expected that the prince himself would be able to do it.

Liang Shu said: “There is no fixed formula for good or bad. Everything needs to be discussed in its current environment. You all admire the wisdom of sages, as do I, but the territory of Dayan stretches for hundreds of thousands of li. Its people have multiplied into hundreds of millions, and among them are many who have no food to eat and no clothing to cover their bodies. If the rulers do nothing, and the strong can casually rob property from the hands of the weak, then who will work hard? If no one wants to work, the world will soon fall into endless turmoil. Can this be called a good thing?”

The little girl seemed to like the sound of his voice. She stared at him without blinking and giggled.

Liang Shu continued: “When the people are still worrying about their livelihoods, the power and weapons covering the entire country’s border are definitely not bad things. This lord will do his utmost to ensure that they have houses to live in, clothing to wear, and food to eat, so that they can live safe and decent lives. As for the beautiful world we pursue, although this lord will not be able to see it with his own eyes during this lifetime, after death, my soul is willing to linger between heaven and earth to await that day.”

Liu Xian’an was very moved when he heard this. In fact, he often described the universe and the flow of the stars and moon to Liang Shu, and described the laws and development of all things. But most of the time he just talked to himself without expecting the other person to listen, because the dao of heaven was too abstract and vague, like a beam of light hidden in the clouds, or a speck of dust.

Liang Shu would often be busy with the matters at hand and occasionally respond with a few perfunctory words. At most, when his imaginings grew a little too excessive—for example, if it vaguely included changes to the dynasty, he would frown and remind him not to say such words easily. Apart from that, he would not express any other opinions, so Liu Xian’an always thought he had forgotten it as soon as he turned around. But he didn’t foresee that the other party actually remembered it all. Not only did he remember it, but he was actually willing to believe it and await the arrival of a new era.

Sending his soul to the mountains and rivers, quietly watching the years change. It sounded like the ultimate loneliness and romance….but in fact, it was not that lonely, because there would at least be a forty-eight thousand year-old Sleeping Immortal beside him. And that Sleeping Immortal knew many annoying old men who had ridden cranes into the afterlife and were now running around the Three Thousand Avenues.

With that, it didn’t seem equal to loneliness.

But this was something that needed to be considered in a few decades, or if both of them tried to live longer, then a hundred years later. Currently, it was too early to discuss those old men riding cranes, and the top priority was to convince the old man in front of them who could ride an elephant.

Liu Xian’an stepped forward and said: “The prince has always made the hearts and lives of the common people his priority. The reason he wants that batch of gold and silver is to save the people and the country. Everyone, please join forces to help.”

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[1] “Five-color blindness” refers to the Warring States era poem “Dao De Jing.” The five colors refer to the multitude of ways greed can twist a person. ⮐

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Chapter One Hundred One << Table of Contents >> Chapter One Hundred Three

Standing in front of him was a very beautiful middle-aged woman, wearing a plain dress with an ordinary pocket watch in her left hand.

Nonetheless, it was difficult to conceal her charm and character.

There were already wrinkles on her face, but her features still made a strong visual impact.

It could be said that Bo Yueming’s features were practically modeled after hers.

During the brief silent confrontation, an affirmative answer appeared in Pei Yi’s mind.

No wonder Bo Lihui had looked as if he’d seen a ghost just now, and no wonder Bo Yueming lost his previous calm and tried to take him away.

The brown-haired woman in front of him was probably Bo Yueming’s biological mother who had “vanished” for a long time, and whose “whereabouts were unknown.”

Pei Yi suppressed the shock in his heart at once and immediately focused on Bo Yueming’s emotions. “Er-ge, she……”

At the same time, the brown-haired woman walked up eagerly. “Ryan.”

Bo Yueming retreated, saying back in standard English, “Get out of here! Don’t call me that!”

His eyes went bloodshot in an instant, and he stared closely at the woman who had suddenly appeared before him. Like a terribly injured lion, he revealed his sharpest and wariest side.

“…….”

His out-of-control state not only frightened the brown-haired woman, but also made Pei Yi next to him extremely anxious.

The brown-haired woman saw Bo Yueming’s resistance, and was forced to pause her steps. She instantly began to cry, and had to cover her face to hide her gaffe.

After about four or five seconds, she constrained herself and said, “Ryan, I’m sorry. I, I’m……”

Bo Yueming closed his eyes and tried to center himself, on the verge of losing control. “I said, don’t call me by that name. You have the wrong person.”

The brown-haired woman tried to take a step forward, and choked out, “But I don’t have the wrong person. Ryan, don’t—”

“M-Mr. Bo.”

She changed her address in broken Chinese, and her request practically spilled over, “Can we talk? Even if it’s just for five minutes!”

A passing waiter saw this scene, and, perhaps knowing Bo Yueming’s identity, began to glance over frequently.

Pei Yi feared that things would be stirred up and disturb Old Mrs. Bo, so he used his free hand to comfort Bo Yueming.

“Er-ge, should we go somewhere else?”

“Unnecessary.”

Bo Yueming understood clearly that burying his head in the sand wouldn’t hide this from anyone, so he said as if resigned to his fate, “I’ll only ask you three questions. I just need you to tell me the truth.”

“But if there is even the slightest bit of concealment, there will be nothing to talk about between us.”

Seeing that he had changed his words, the brown-haired woman hurriedly nodded. “Okay! Ask!”

Bo Yueming stared at the ring on her ring finger. “Are you married?”

The brown-haired woman noticed his gaze and automatically closed her right hand with the wedding ring. “Yes.”

Having received the expected answer, Bo Yueming asked again, “Do you have children?”

“……”

The brown-haired woman hadn’t expected him to ask these questions when she approached him. She was silent for a long moment before saying with difficulty, “…..Yes.”

Pei Yi’s heart suddenly throbbed when he heard this answer. The hand held by Bo Yueming had already become numb due to the other’s excessive strength.

Bo Yueming lowered his eyes slightly, and they overflowed with a wry smile before he retracted it.

The brown-haired woman paid attention to his every move, and was so anxious that she tried to step forward and explain, “It’s not what you think! Listen to my explanation—”

But before she could give that explanation, Bo Yueming’s tone completely changed when he asked the next question. 

“Are you willing to come to me now because you know that I took over Bo Group and you want money from me?”

He was cold and wary, as if looking at a stranger.

The brown-haired woman opened her reddened eyes as if she had received an electric shock. “Of course not! I never had such an idea!”

Bo Yueming received this answer and was indifferent to her anxiety. “All right, I’m done asking. I don’t want any additional explanations from you.”

“There is no need for us to go somewhere else to talk. Best wishes. Go away.”

Having said this, he took Pei Yi and walked away quickly, leaving only the silhouette of his unyielding figure.

The brown-haired woman gazed after the resolute Bo Yueming’s back. In the end, she couldn’t control herself and covered her mouth with one hand and her stomach with the other, leaning back against the nearby wall to cry silently.

. . . . . . .

Bo Yueming and Pei Yi wandered around unthinkingly in the parking lot, and after searching for a long time, they still didn’t know where they were going.

Pei Yi stopped and broke free from his grasp. “Er-ge.”

Breathing heavily, Bo Yueming was somewhat confused. “En?”

Pei Yi hid his hand that had been clenched until it was pale, going around to the other side to take Bo Yueming’s hand. “Let’s go this way, Lin Zhong and Lao Fu are waiting for us.”

Bo Yueming nodded.

The two finally found the location of their pick-up car.

Pei Yi knew that Bo Yueming’s mood wouldn’t recover for a while, so he motioned with his eyes for Lin Zhong and Lao Fu to get out of the car and wait. Then he closed the car door hard.

Slam!

The sound of the car door shutting made Bo Yueming’s eyes shake. He tried his best to pretend that nothing was wrong. “Why not let them get in the car? Aren’t you tired? Let’s go back and rest early.”

“There’s no rush, I’m not tired.”

Pei Yi stopped him when Bo Yueming went to fasten his seatbelt. He took the initiative to approach his lover, and reached out to caress him from his eyebrows to the side of his face.

Then he solemnly apologized, “Er-ge, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have stopped you just now.”

If not for his momentary intuition and curiosity, Bo Yueming wouldn’t have asked those three questions. If he had known they would receive those first two answers, he would have taken his person away from harm. 

After all, with his biological mother who had disappeared for twenty years unimaginably appearing again, no one could be completely indifferent.

Pei Yi knew that Bo Yueming was strong-tempered, and that he would remain silent like he did when he was a child, but he didn’t want that.

Some wounds would rot in your heart forever if you didn’t talk about them and root them out.

Pei Yi gently caressed Bo Yueming’s face with his fingertips and whispered, “Er-ge, it’s just me now.”

“If you’re unhappy or uncomfortable, you can say so. Don’t hold it inside.”

“……”

Bo Yueming caught a glimpse of the color on Pei Yi’s hand. He took it into his palm, touching it gently as he changed the topic.

“Did I pull you too hard just now and hurt you? Why didn’t you say anything or struggle?”

“It’s okay, it’ll get better soon.”

Pei Yi didn’t mention the numbness in his fingers. He kissed the other’s forehead and brought the topic back.

“Er-ge, what are you thinking right now? Tell me, please?”

“…….”

Bo Yueming’s eyes were still focused on Pei Yi’s hand as he rubbed it slowly. “I have no opinion. She has her lover and children, and I have you and Grandma.”

There was a hint of frustration in his eyes, but his tone was very calm. “It’s perfect that she didn’t come here for money. We are just strangers living our own lives.”

Pei Yi frowned with worry. He knew that Bo Yueming was being evasive, let alone telling the truth.

It was just that with such old scars accumulated in his heart, if his lover himself was unwilling to speak, he really didn’t dare to take the initiative to ask so as not to touch his deep wounds.

When Bo Yueming saw that Pei Yi’s hand had finally returned to its original color, he lowered his head and kissed him softly. “Let Lao Fu and Lin Zhong come in. I want to go home.”

“Okay.”

Pei Yi clasped his hand tightly, saying gently but firmly, “Let’s go home.”

. . . . . . . .

It was already past eight o’clock when the group returned to the villa.

There had been such a last minute twist before going home. Even though Bo Yueming was pretending to be calm, Pei Yi still saw through it to his deeply hidden pain and melancholy.

After taking a quick shower, he came out of the bathroom and walked to the wine wall, suggesting, “Er-ge, do you want some wine?”

It should be known that Bo Yueming had always responded to his requests, but this time he chose to refuse quietly, “Kitten, let’s go to bed early tonight, okay? Didn’t you say you were tired? I want to go to bed early too.”

Inspector, who had not seen its master for a long time, excitedly jumped onto the foot of the bed and meowed at Pei Yi.

Bo Yueming was afraid that Pei Yi would be unhappy, so he promised, “Wait until tomorrow, I’ll drink with you then.”

Pei Yi didn’t want to put extra pressure on his lover, so he smiled and said, “Okay.”

Five minutes later, the two of them finished getting ready and lay on the bed together.

Pei Yi took the initiative to get into Bo Yueming’s arms, showing his dependence without any scruples. “Er-ge, I missed you so much.”

The corners of Bo Yueming’s mouth finally curled up. “I missed you too.”

The two seemed to have reached a tacit understanding, and just embraced each other quietly, not saying anything to break this rare silence.

Perhaps because the embrace of the person in his arms was so secure, or perhaps because his continuous work had been so tiring, Pei Yi fell asleep without even realizing it.

In his sleepy state, Pei Yi dreamed of himself as a child—

Only this time, he left his familiar environment and instead came to a small but cozy bungalow.

He saw a little boy curled up alone on the sofa, currently staring at the clock on the coffee table.

He waited from day to night and from night to dawn, until he couldn’t control himself anymore and cried bitterly.

“Er-ge!”

Pei Yi awoke from his dream and found that there was no one beside him in bed. The electronic clock on the bedside table was still ticking second by second.

What had seemed like a lengthy dream had only taken two or three hours in reality.

Inspector heard movement on the bed and came over. It gently tugged Pei Yi’s pajamas twice with its mouth, then jumped off the bed and crouched obediently by the door of the master bedroom.

“Meow-wu~”

It seemed to be reminding him of something.

Pei Yi understood his beloved pet’s meaning and quickly got out of bed, opening the door. When he saw the situation in the small living room clearly, his remaining sleepiness was replaced by overflowing heartache.

There were empty wine bottles on the living room bar, and a trace of alcohol lingered in the air.

Wearing thin pajamas, Bo Yueming stood alone in front of the open window, as if praying that the night could drown out his sorrow and loneliness.

Pei Yi instantly thought of the little boy curled up on the sofa, waiting for his mother to come home.

Even though he knew that the dream was just a fantasy made up by himself, he still couldn’t help but merge these two large and small figures together.

Pei Yi walked forward and hugged his lover from behind. “Er-ge.”

 Bo Yueming reacted belatedly, but didn’t turn around in time. “Did I wake you up?”

Just listening to his voice, there was a trace of unnatural choking emotion.

Pei Yi could no longer deliberately pretend not to be aware. He walked around Bo Yueming, raised his head, and kissed him.

Those slightly cool lips smelled of wine, and there was a hint of saltiness in the kiss.

Bo Yueming’s steady breathing finally became completely disordered, and he let out a choked sob that had been repressed for a long time. He mumbled into the kiss, “I, I thought she was dead.”

“…….”

Pei Yi trembled in distress. He had Bo Yueming sit on the sofa, while he simply stood and hugged his lover tightly.

“Er-ge, I know you’re hurting. I’m here with you. Don’t hold it in, okay?”

Bo Yueming wrapped his arms tightly around Pei Yi’s waist as if holding onto his last lifeline. “I thought, I thought I had forgotten what she looked like.”

But when that person actually appeared, the memories of his childhood came over him like a landslide, leaving the always strong Bo Yueming unable to resist.

He wanted to pretend like nothing was wrong, but after nightfall, the complex emotions creeped in, and he couldn’t stop them even if he wanted to.

“Pei Yi.”

“I’m here.”

“I always thought that I was a burden. That I was the one who dragged her down. She lost her studies, her career, and her freedom. She gave up on me only when she really couldn’t hold on anymore.”

The mother in Bo Yueming’s memories could not be a gentler woman. His other grandmother had also said when she was still alive—

When she was alive, Cynthia was just like the meaning of her name. She was the moon high above, a goddess admired by many people. She could play piano and dance, and was a very outstanding person.

Back then, Bo Lihong had been envied by many people, but he didn’t cherish her well at all.

After the breakup, Cynthia unexpectedly learned that she was pregnant. But by that time, Bo Lihong had returned to China, and there was no possibility of restoring their relationship.

In order to keep the innocent Bo Yueming, Cynthia had to drop out of school and go home, but how could everything be as easy as she imagined?

Her parents helped during the pregnancy, and then not long after Bo Yueming was born, her father passed away.

Without the backbone of the family, Cynthia knew that she would just drag her heartbroken mother down.

She had to go out and work on her own, but with a baby and no degree, where could she find a satisfactory job?

During this period, Cynthia was ridiculed and scorned countless times.

The hands that had originally played piano were soaked in dirty water from dishwashing, and the soul that could have danced was trapped in a mother’s body.

It was like this day after day, year after year.

“I know that it was me who dragged her down and even took away her last vestige of vitality. But she still couldn’t let me go, so she walked on the road of no return alone.”

Over the years, Bo Yueming had been burdened with an overwhelming guilt deep in his heart.

He remembered the cool sea breeze on his birthday night that year, and also remembered his mother Cynthia’s cold back as she left. Everything was imprinted in his heart.

Pei Yi felt the dampness on the fabric of his clothes, and grew sadder the more he listened.

Bo Yueming confided in a low voice, “In the two years when I first entered the Bo family, I expected countless times for her to come back and pick me up…..”

As time passed, he knew that he couldn’t wait any longer.

Bo Yueming did not relax his embrace, and his voice still contained a rare tearfulness and vulnerability. “I never thought I would have the chance to see her again in this life, let alone that—”

“She would have a whole new family and a child.”

Bo Yueming didn’t know how to explain his complicated feelings. He was glad that his biological mother was still alive and well in this world, but couldn’t help but hate that reality was different from what he wanted.

“I don’t understand. Since she was living well in this world, why wasn’t she willing to come back and see me again for twenty years?”

“Did she hate me that much, or had she simply forgotten me?”

When she looked at that other child, did she remember that there was another child in China waiting for her to appear? Did she wonder how he was doing?

Pei Yi gently rubbed Bo Yueming’s head, and hesitated for a moment before saying, “Er-ge, she didn’t forget you. It’s impossible for her to forget you.”

If Cynthia had forgotten him, it would have been impossible for her to appear before them like this today.

As a bystander, Pei Yi could see that the other party’s guilt and breakdown were not feigned.

“……”

Bo Yueming smiled bitterly, his mind still haunted by confusion.

Since she hid away for twenty years, why had she appeared now? Why not just avoid him for the rest of her life?

At least that way he could still deceive himself that—

The mother in his memory had given all her love to him unreservedly, instead of giving the love he longed for to another child.

Pei Yi understood Bo Yueming’s inner doubts. “Er-ge, let me go and ask clearly on your behalf, okay?”

Whether love or hate, it must be based on the most basic understanding of the facts. Pei Yi didn’t want his lover to continue to live in the fog and suffer.

Bo Yueming released Pei Yi and shook his head slightly, saying what he had said in the car—

They had their own lives now, and they shouldn’t disturb each other.

The night breeze was cool.

Pei Yi feared that Bo Yueming would catch a cold if he drank in a depressed mood, so he brought his lover back to the room and brought a hot towel to clean his face and wipe his hands.

Bo Yueming looked at Pei Yi, who was busy working on his behalf, and his heart finally warmed up again.

“Pei Yi.”

“En?”

“Will you leave?”

“……”

Pei Yi didn’t expect Bo Yueming to ask such a sudden question, and was stunned.

Bo Yueming asked with rare stubbornness, “Will you?”

In fact, Bo Yueming had never mentioned it to Pei Yi, but Cynthia’s sudden departure when he was young had left an indelible shadow in his heart.

Over the years, he always woke up suddenly from dreams in the middle of the night. And after dating Pei Yi, this absolute terror had not diminished, but deepened.

Every time, Bo Yueming would make sure that his lover was still sleeping peacefully in his arms, and then his uneasy heart would slowly calm down.

Bo Yueming knew that there were also unmentionable hurts in Pei Yi’s past. He didn’t dare to ask, and in the end, he could only keep constraining himself.

But now, he couldn’t help but confess his fears. “Pei Yi, one day, will you leave me as suddenly as she did?”

Under a layer of wetness, those already beautiful eyes looked even more pitiful and heart-wrenching.

Pei Yi stopped thinking about his tears and slipped into Bo Yueming’s arms again. “I won’t leave. I won’t leave you. I’m not going anywhere.”

Three promises in a row, all with the word “forever” hidden in them.

Bo Yueming held him tighter, his emotions stronger than usual due to the alcohol. “You’ll stay with me for the rest of your life?”

Pei Yi knew that Bo Yueming was waiting for his true response. “En, we’ll spend a lifetime with each other.”

If grasping the present moment was the beginning of love, then once the love grew deep in their bones, who wouldn’t crave it for a lifetime?

Pei Yi took a deep breath, seeming to have come to an important decision. “Er-ge?”

“En?”

“Would you like to hear my story too?”

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Chapter Ninety-Nine <<Table of Contents >> Chapter One Hundred One

Liu Zhenqing had already calmed down when he boarded the carriage procured by Mo Qi.

What he currently knew was that the Imperial Examination fraud had been exposed today, which was similar to the cheating model Liu Zhenqing had guessed, and was focused on the Ministry of Rites, Rong Shiming, and perhaps the First Princess. But he never suspected that the Liu family would be involved. This truly made no sense, but Mo Qi had already inquired with the Jinyiwei. The entire Liu family had been arrested and sent to the Imperial Prison. The capital was currently under martial law, and all relevant academy personnel and participating students had also been detained for interrogation. He could be considered a fish that had slipped the net.

To be honest, he really wanted to leave without any unnecessary complications. He didn’t want to see anyone related to the past again. But now, once he left Huo Fenglie’s protection, what awaited him was the Jinyiwei who were searching for him throughout the city.

If he was imprisoned in the Imperial Prison, his fate would be decided by others. 

Therefore, even if Liu Zhenqing was unwilling, he could only follow Huo Fenglie back to the General’s Manor for the time being and wait until the matter had been investigated clearly.

Liu Zhenqing sent a covert glance at Huo Fenglie, who was sitting beside him.

From the moment he got on the carriage, Huo Fenglie had been doing breathing exercises with his eyes closed. He was not a martial arts practitioner and didn’t understand the specific situation, but thinking of Huo Fenglie’s abnormal physical condition just now, he was probably really ill.

Then it could be said that he dragged his sick body to help him?

This…..he felt that there was an inexplicable sense of dissonance in Huo Fenglie’s behavior.

He thought and thought, feeling that they should be arriving at the General’s Manor soon. He couldn’t help but feel a bit nervous, so he leaned forward to lift the door curtain and look outside.

But as soon as he moved, his arm was grabbed again.

Liu Zhenqing looked back and thought that Er-gou was addicted to catching him.

“Where are you going?” Huo Fenglie asked.

Liu Zhenqing looked at him speechlessly. The carriage was moving, where could he go? Could he fly out?

Likely realizing that he had asked a stupid question, Huo Fenlie’s eyes flashed and he let go of Liu Zhenqing.

Liu Zhenqing coughed and changed the subject: “General Huo…..how is your health?”

“It’s an old injury. Not a problem,” Huo Fenglie replied.

He kept feeling that the current Huo Fenglie was not the Er-gou he once knew. His behavior in the alley before was so strange.

“General Huo, although I am very grateful to you, I have a question…..”

“Ask.”

Liu Zhenqing narrowed his eyes slightly as he examined Huo Fenglie’s expression, saying: “It is no trivial matter to harbor a suspect. Even though General Huo is favored by the Emperor, it is not proper to act like this. Why are you helping me? I asked myself if my so-called favor toward the Young Master and Young Lady of the Huo family could extend to this point.”

Perhaps he had some other purpose, or perhaps he really was kind enough to be willing to help.

“The Huo family must repay all kindnesses. If I do not get you safely out of the city, this kindness has not been repaid,” Huo Fenglie said with a magnanimous look.

Was this true or false?

The corners of Liu Zhenqing’s mouth twitched. He was a little unable to tell. After all, he really couldn’t think of a reason for Huo Fenglie to be so helpful, so this was a legitimate excuse. But if it was true, Er-gou had become too pedantic when he grew up. Even Huo Feihan didn’t have such an honest temperament, ah. 

If Liu Zhenqing had met the current him in the past, he would have bullied Er-gou to the point that he even gave away his pants.

“General Huo, this…..if someone else tries to take advantage of your gratitude, you’ll suffer a loss.” Liu Zhenqing looked away as he pointed out the other’s flaws, and didn’t see the softness in Huo Fenglie’s eyes.

The carriage slowly came to a stop. Liu Zhenqing’s heart trembled and his expression became a little stiff.

Huo Fenglie did not urge Liu Zhenqing to get out of the carriage, but waited quietly instead.

Then Mo Qi’s voice came from outside. Liu Zhenqing just wrapped up in his cloak and covered his face completely. Since he was going into hiding, he must conceal himself.

The two disembarked the carriage, and at a glance, Liu Zhenqing took in a familiar scene: high steps, a vermillion door, and the Imperial plaque with the gilded characters “General’s Manor.” Even the two stone lions at the door seemed to have remained unchanged.

At this time, a familiar old man was standing at the door with a frown, waiting with a group of servants.

This scene really put Liu Zhenqing in a trance for a moment. It was as if he was still a teenager, getting caught in the act after playing with Huo Feihan and returning late.

This person was the Huo family’s steward, Uncle Tian.

According to Liu Zhenqing’s memory, Uncle Tian had hardly changed. Especially his iconic braided beard.

In fact, its style was quite proper, but when he thought about the origin of this style, Liu Zhenqing felt guilty and amused. 

He recalled that back then, Uncle Tian cherished his beard. He kept it smooth as silk, so smooth that even young girls would envy it. This person’s beard could not be in disarray even if his head was cut off，and he had to comb it with a small comb seven or eight times a day. That was, until he was targeted by Liu Zhenqing.

Although Liu Zhenqing was a transmigrator at that time, he had started from scratch around the age of ten and indulged in the arrogance, willfulness, mischief, and rebelliousness that he had never had in his previous life. If he was going to live a free and unrestrained lifestyle, he would naturally be childish at times. He often went out with Huo Feihan. In Uncle Tian’s eyes, Liu Zhenqing was a naughty and mischievous young master who always caused trouble with him, so he became a monitor, watching them every day and complaining to the elders.

This made the two of them depressed, so Liu Zhenqing played a prank by using the modern principle of the perm to give his beard a big wave while he was taking a nap.

Afterwards, Uncle Tian almost lost his mind. Liu Zhenqing, who had taken the lead in committing the crime, and Huo Feihan, his accomplice, were severely punished.

They thought that when the matter was over, he could grow his beard straight again. But for some unknown reason, the beard that grew out after that was all crooked, and Uncle Tian could only tie his beard into braids with tears in his eyes. Thus, he also led the trend of beard styling for middle-aged and elderly men. But Uncle Tian was not happy. He lost weight due to depression, which caused Liu Zhenqing and Huo Feihan to feel guilty. They sincerely apologized, and Liu Zhenqing also said that he would try to straighten it again, but Uncle Tian would never again let anyone touch his beard.

Now, looking at the little braids that were tied with different colored strings, it seemed that Uncle Tian had found the fun in it.

The small smile brought on by the memory slightly relieved Liu Zhenqing’s nervousness.

As a former seventh-rank minister and the steward of the General’s Manor, his status was not low, but when he saw Huo Fenglie walking up with a person who was covered from head to toe, Uncle Tian still stepped forward to bow respectfully. Upon realizing the identity of the covered person, although he was surprised, his tone and attitude were very polite.

Uncle Tian should know Liu Xiaozhu. After all, Liu Zhenqing had heard from Jin Li that the young master had come to the door several times when he was pursuing a certain someone. It was likely that Uncle Tian had a deep impression of him, and mostly disliked him. But because of the previous incident with the twins, Uncle Tian had also arranged for medicine to be delivered, so he should have changed his attitude toward him at this point.

At this moment, Uncle Tian paid more attention to Huo Fenglie. When he appeared to be in good shape, he breathed a sigh of relief and took them inside, asking questions with concern.

After learning the details of the matter, although Uncle Tian’s expression was a little strange, he didn’t question the Second Master’s decisions. He just asked respectfully: “Then which courtyard does the Second Master think is appropriate for Second Young Master Liu?”

Huo Fenglie said directly: “The Snow Catkin Courtyard.”

When these words were spoken, Uncle Tian stopped suddenly. His beard trembled and he said in a fluster: “Second Master, you said the Snow Catkin Courtyard? That…..that is not a guest courtyard. It hasn’t been cleaned up much, and…..”

Liu Zhenqing could understand Uncle Tian’s dismay, because Liu Zhenqing himself froze upon hearing the name of the courtyard.

The Snow Catkin Courtyard was originally one of the Huo family’s guest courtyards. It had a pleasant and elegant environment that did not match the overall style of the General’s Manor, and was previously used to host scholarly guests. Later, Liu Zhenqing became good friends with Huo Feihan. The Snow Catkin Courtyard became the place where he stayed overnight, and was gradually no longer used by others.

He had originally thought that even if the courtyard was not razed to the ground by the Huo family, it would have been renamed in order to ward off bad luck. Yet now the courtyard was not only still there, but was going to be used by his Liu family. Uncle Tian probably had to wonder if Huo Fenglie was deliberately mocking this person.

Liu Zhenqing felt complicated for a moment. He didn’t know what Huo Fenglie meant by this arrangement, but Liu Xiaozhu shouldn’t know anything about it, so Liu Zhenqing couldn’t react.

“Second Master, it’s not suitable. Why not change it…..” Although Huo Fenglie always made decisions without hesitation, Uncle Tian couldn’t help but offer a few more words of advice this time.

“No one can get close to it, no news will leak out, and it’s secure,” Huo Fenglie explained indifferently, as if this was just business and he was only arranging the most suitable accommodations for the guest without any unnecessary considerations. 

Although Liu Xiaozhu taking refuge in the General’s Manor could not be kept secret, it should not be known by too many people. It was better to be careful when there were so many people talking about him, so this arrangement was reasonable. Regardless, Liu Zhenqing temporarily accepted this excuse. There was really no trace of scheming on the other’s deadpan face.

But Uncle Tian appeared hesitant to speak, and glanced at Liu Zhenqing several times.

It wasn’t until Liu Zhenqing discovered that the familiar path in his memory had changed that he realized the courtyard had been renovated.

The Snow Catkin Courtyard had originally been next to Huo Fenglie’s courtyard. Now, the two courtyards seemed to have been connected to form a huge re-landscaped courtyard in the middle, the equivalent of two residences in one. The original gate to the Snow Catkin Courtyard opened into it, so it was basically attached.

When he realized this, Liu Zhenqing felt that he had been thinking too much before. It was just a courtyard, and the Liu family wasn’t even taken into consideration. It had just been used to expand the living space for the current head of the Huo family.

Therefore, Uncle Tian’s anxiousness was not because Liu Zhenqing once stayed in this courtyard, but because this was out of compliance?

Although it was empty and separated from the other residence by a courtyard, according to the structure, it could be regarded as General Huo’s inner courtyard. But of course a general like Huo Fenglie would never pay attention to such details, so Uncle Tian’s persuasion was useless.

When passing by the courtyard, Liu Zhenqing just took a cursory look and felt that it was indeed grand and refined after the remodel. It had everything covered for training, enjoying the scenery, leisure, and entertainment. Such a large space could certainly accommodate a lot of people. When it was first renovated, it was likely for the purpose of the future Mrs. Huo spreading branches here and letting the population flourish.

Unexpectedly, the first person to move in was a man who once clamored to pursue Huo Fenglie. If word of this spread, wouldn’t Er-gou’s reputation be tarnished again?

Liu Zhenqing was amused by his own thoughts. He couldn’t be blamed for this. It was Er-gou’s own fault.

Just as he was thinking, Liu Zhenqing caught sight of the familiar courtyard door and the smile on his face turned uncontrollably bitter.

He never thought…..that he would come here again. This was the place he had lived most often, aside from his own manor and the Imperial Academy.

Upon stepping into the Snow Catkin Courtyard, Liu Zhenqing was a little surprised. Other than the lack of human presence, the scenery was almost the same as it was all those years ago. Hearing Uncle Tian say that it hadn’t been tidied much, he had expected a scene of neglect. Unexpectedly, not only was it tidied up neatly, but even the vegetation outside seemed to have been pruned on the regular, and the windows were open for ventilation. Sunlight could even be seen streaming through the windows, illuminating the furniture and decorations inside.

Liu Zhenqing saw it as if it was a lifetime ago.

“Uncle Tian, I’ll leave this to you.”

While looking around, Liu Zhenqing heard this and turned to find Huo Fenglie looking at him. He said: “Young Master Liu, please rest first. I will inquire about the situation outside.”

Liu Zhenqing cupped his hands and thanked him, and it wasn’t until Huo Fenglie departed that Uncle Tian stepped forward to greet him politely.

Because of the attack, Liu Zhenqing was still in a bit of disarray. Uncle Tian immediately selected two of the most loyal servants in the General’s Manor to take charge here, and arranged a bath and clothing, along with tea to alleviate the shock. Only then was it truly clear that there were almost no servants walking around Huo Fenglie’s residence. It was very much quiet and secure.

When Liu Zhenqing finished cleaning up, Uncle Tian continued to accompany him in the courtyard, but logically, the two were not familiar with each other at all. There was a man with “amnesia” who once pursued their general to the front door, and now the Liu family was in trouble. Even the well-rounded old steward, no matter how much of a gossip he was, felt that he was stepping on uneven ground.

Seeing Uncle Tian’s grimace and the twitching of the braids in his beard, it was clear that his heart was in turmoil.

And Liu Zhenqing was no longer listening to Uncle Tian’s continuous flow of conversational topics, his attention completely diverted by the little braids in his beard.

It really didn’t grow back straight?

Uncle Tian talked for a long time while Liu Zhenqing just stared at his beard, then felt an inexplicable chill run down his spine. He touched his beard and coughed, saying: “Many thanks to Young Master Liu for saving the First Young Lady and the Second Young Master before. Young Master Liu can stay here with peace of mind. Please let us know if there is anything missing, and we will do our best to satisfy your needs.”

Liu Zhenqing didn’t care about anything else, and only asked about the two little children.

Uncle Tian was a little surprised that this was the first thing he was concerned about. “Because the Young Lady and the Young Master acted on their own and nearly caused a disaster, they were punished and sentenced to solitary confinement in the manor.”

Oh, he was aware. They were kneeling down in the ancestral hall and copying military documents. It was the Huo family’s old routine. Huo Feihan was often punished in the past, so he and Li Xingruo would secretly go to accompany him.

It really ran in the family.

Liu Zhenqing simply ignored that he had a share of the blame in the previous incident, and nodded with admiration: “They’re still so young, and haven’t completely learned martial arts yet. If they want to imitate others and decry injustice when they see it, they must learn well.”

Uncle Tian didn’t think it was appropriate for Liu Xiaozhu to say this as an outsider, but he could still hear that he was being sincere rather than flattering.

Uncle Tian said with a smile: “They can only go out for an hour per day at the moment, or they would have come out to see you by now. By the way, the Eldest Lady still hasn’t returned from the free clinic. When she returns, she will certainly come to thank Young Master Liu for his life-saving grace.”

Liu Zhenqing’s face was slightly stiff. If Li Xingruo were here, he really didn’t know if he would have had the guts to walk in.

It was best to resolve matters here quickly and leave before Li Xingruo came back. After all, it would be difficult to pretend in front of someone who knew him so well.

Liu Zhenqing always felt that since his rebirth, there were only two people who would be able to recognize him. One was Huo Feihan, and the other was Li Xingruo, because the three of them had the deepest relationship. 

Night fell, but Huo Fenglie didn’t return. Liu Zhenqing wanted to rest quietly alone, and Uncle Tian thought he was worried about the Liu family, so he didn’t bother him.

With a creak, Liu Zhenqing pushed open the window of the inner room. The scenery that came into view was still the same, as if it had come from memories long past.

Liu Zhenqing was only ten years old when he first arrived here after transmigration. Soon after, he was sent to study at the Imperial Academy by the old marquis, where he met Huo Feihan and Li Xingruo. A son of a marquis, a soon-to-be general, and an Imperial doctor’s child all came from extraordinary backgrounds. But when the three of them first went to the Imperial Academy, they weren’t familiar with each other. After all, one was civil, one was martial, and one was a woman, so it was difficult for them to mix together and interact.

The reason they had the opportunity to get to know each other was actually because of Er-gou.

At that time, a miracle doctor happened to be in Great Zhou and staying at the Imperial Academy temporarily, so Li Xingruo’s family recommended her to become his disciple. This should have had nothing to do with Liu Zhenqing, but he thought that perhaps it had to do with his aura as a time traveler. In the back mountains, he encountered the miracle doctor by chance while the man was collecting herbs. He used modern medical knowledge as a conversational topic, and the miracle doctor mistakenly thought he had astonishing medical talent. He was about to accept him as a disciple, and although Liu Zhenqing tried his best to refuse, the miracle doctor and the old marquis hit it off immediately. Liu Zhenqing had no choice but to bite the bullet and go for it.

Of course, Li Xingruo was truly talented and was naturally accepted, so Liu Zhenqing inexplicably became her senior brother. At that time, Li Xingruo was not fond of him. But neither of them knew that due to this incident, the two families had become friends, and after getting drunk, they formed an engagement for the two of them.

Not to mention that the Master later found out that he had been cheated out of a discipleship spot. It was just that at that time, the pregnant general’s wife came to the Imperial Academy to visit Huo Feihan and incidentally went into unexpected labor. Although Er-gou was born, both mother and son were in very bad condition. The Master went first to rescue the general’s wife, who was in the worst condition, while Er-gou was handed over to an ordinary doctor in the Imperial Academy. The doctor’s medical skills were average. He usually dealt with common colds, and had never treated a newborn baby.

As the new apprentices, the two of them naturally accompanied Huo Feihan outside. Then the doctor came out and said that the baby hadn’t survived because of the umbilical cord being wrapped around the neck, and there was really nothing he could do. 

That was the first time Liu Zhenqing and Li Xingruo saw Huo Feihan cry. He kept calling for his brother. 

This was likely the first time Li Xingruo had seen such a situation. Unresigned, she snatched the baby away and used all of her knowledge to try to save him, inserting silver acupuncture needles into any point that could be stimulated. But the baby still had no response. Li Xingruo was close to tears at that time.

Liu Zhenqing’s heart was also unable to bear it when he looked at the little baby, feeling that there should be warmth and life. He didn’t know where the impulse came from, but he instinctively took Er-gou over once Li Xingruo had mostly given up, and used a set of modern first aid operations. Even when the people around him were shocked by his actions and tried to stop him, he never stopped blowing and pressing on his chest. He didn’t know if it was the right thing to do or not, and it might be useless, but once he started doing it, he couldn’t stop. He kept feeling that if he persisted for one more second, a miracle might happen.

And just when Liu Zhenqing was about to faint from lack of oxygen, he heard Li Xingruo cry out: “He’s moving!”

At this time, the Master came out.

This was how Er-gou survived.

And due to this experience and friendship, the three of them quickly grew familiar with each other.

Liu Zhenqing initially felt that he was mentally older than them and would not be able to enjoy time together with them. However, the “Imperial Academy Anti-Bullying Incident” made the three people, who were not afraid of trouble and had a strong sense of justice, really get to know each other. 

At that time, there was someone who unjustly bullied a child because of his status. Huo Feihan directly stood up to protect him, Liu Zhenqing spoke out to solve the matter, and Li Xingruo provided evidence. The three of them worked together to shame the little bully, and after that, they found that they were birds of a feather.

But in everyone else’s opinions, both he and Li Xingruo had unique personalities while Huo Feihan seemed normal. And none of them were law-abiding people. They all basically got into trouble together, and only the eldest Huo Feihan endured punishment in a law-abiding manner. However, the three of them showed their best talents in their respective fields, and were the most troublesome existences for the academics.

They were young at that time, wayward, and lived a wonderful and unrestrained life. It seemed that there was nothing in the world that they did not dare to take charge of or do, and they didn’t know the difficulties of the world. They had never truly realized until the Imperial court incident that the Great Zhou Dynasty was unstable, and the great leader they followed met with an accident prematurely. The country was about to collapse due to internal and external troubles, as well as court struggles. They grew rapidly in just a few years, all of their edges and corners worn away in order to adapt to this turbulent world. Crushed under the heavy burden of their country, their high spirits burned desperately in a short period of time until death…..looking back now, he and Huo Feihan weren’t even thirty…..

Liu Zhenqing lay back on the bed, his eyes open in a daze. This bed…..seemed to be the same. Here there were memories of young people talking at night by candlelight, and also memories of the most painful and unbearable times. After all, in the two years before his death, every time he was seriously injured or had an accident, he had to lie here and be treated by his junior sister, because there were not many people around he could trust. It seemed that his frequent visits during that period also became one of the evidences that he was “harassing his sister-in-law,” which he was later criticized for. However, it was undeniable that this was the place that made him most at ease, and the only place he could take a break.

Liu Zhenqing lay there for a while, thinking that he wouldn’t be able to sleep. But not long after blowing out the candles, the sound of deep breathing came from the bed.

The heating in the room was sufficient, but it wasn’t too hot. However, Liu Zhenqing was not a peaceful sleeper, and the quilt slipped off with a flick of his hand.

An unknown amount of time later, there was a slight noise outside the door, and the moonlight shining into the room suddenly rippled, bringing in a burst of night chill.

The quilt on the ground was picked up, and a person stood at the bedside. Seeing the familiar sleeping position of the person on the bed, his lips curved up uncontrollably, and the chill in his body seemed to be driven away by the heat of the room.

Huo Fenglie sat on the side of the bed and covered Liu Zhenqing with the quilt, pressing it down on the sides with both hands for a moment. After Liu Zhenqing adapted to the existence of the quilt with dissatisfaction, Huo Fenglie did not retract his hands, and his gaze never left the person on the bed all the while.

Suddenly, Huo Fenglie leaned closer, not stopping until he could feel Liu Zhenqing’s breathing.

A deep and cautious voice sounded tentatively:

“Qing-ge…..”

Then there was an indistinct murmur as if in response.

“En?”

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Chapter Twenty-Seven << Table of Contents >> Chapter Twenty-Nine

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When the three of them followed the traces and arrived at the study, they saw the broken brocade box on the ground and Huo Fenglie holding a piece of paper tightly in his hand. His head was lowered as he stood there blankly, as if all the strength had been drained from his body.

“Second Uncle?”

“General?”

As three of them called out, the steward’s voice sounded outside the door.

“Second Young Master, Qin-daren sent someone to deliver urgent news. It is said that the Jinyiwei are currently arresting the Imperial merchant Liu family. Their family is suspected of being involved in the Imperial Examination fraud, and they will all be placed in the Imperial Prison. Qin-daren asks, do you want to take charge of Young Master Liu Xiaozhu?”

“What? Uncle Liu is going to be arrested?” Huo Yunci and Huo Yunqian both looked shocked, and then looked at Mo Qi, who had just seen this person off.

Mo Qi’s expression changed, and he said: “This…..Young Master Liu’s carriage should still be at the east gate……”

Before Mo Qi could finish speaking, he felt a gust of wind in front of him. In the blink of an eye, Huo Fenglie had already reached the door and dodged to avoid the steward, who nearly bumped into him.

“Second Master, you…..” As soon as the steward spoke, he saw Huo Fenglie suddenly look up.

The steward’s expression changed drastically, because he saw a scarlet background in those cold, narrow eyes, and the collar that had opened slightly due to the movement revealed a faint, sharp, greenish-brown line under the collarbone.

But before the steward could react, Huo Fenglie had already used qinggong to fly out of the courtyard.

“It’s not good, the Second Young Master’s old illness has relapsed! Lieutenant General Mo, chase after him quickly!”

In front of the east city gate, the contingent began to move.

Liu Zhenqing and Jin Li were playing a game inside the carriage. Jin Li lost, and Liu Zhenqing’s punishment for him was to spin around and pray for this group to have good luck.

However, a commotion outside disturbed the carriage.

Jin Li stuck out his head to take a look, then immediately retracted it and said: “Master, why does the gate seem to be closed, ah?”

Liu Zhenqing opened the carriage curtain to see, and frowned at once.

Looking at the situation in front of the gate in the distance, there were extra guards walking around the people in line and driving the crowds away. This was clearly the routine of closing the city down. 

What was going on?

Just as he was thinking, he suddenly saw that the guard Mo Qi had met with before was talking to another officer. Judging from his attire, he was……Jinyiwei!

The guard immediately pointed their way, and at the wave of the Jinyiwei’s hand, a team gathered and rushed toward them quickly.

Being pointed out by the Jinyiwei was not a good thing, and since there was such a big commotion, it was likely that he would be arrested.

Liu Zhenqing’s eyes narrowed slightly. Since the situation was unclear, it was better to run first. He immediately gave orders to everyone in the carriage: “You all should get out of the carriage right away and disperse. Don’t take any risks, go back to Liu Manor and wait for news.”

After saying this, without waiting for anyone to react, Liu Zhenqing pulled Jin Li and jumped out of the carriage, passing through the crowd and into an alley.

Not to mention Jin Li, everyone was confused and forgot to react, so they were caught by the Jinyiwei who had come over.

They were only connected to the Liu family through an employment relationship, so of course they would not be loyal enough to cover for him. They hurriedly revealed the direction in which Liu Zhenqing had left.

But Liu Zhenqing had already decisively turned around to run in the completely opposite direction.

“Master, what…..what is going on, ah?” Jin Li asked nervously, panting as he ran.

“I don’t know, but something must have happened. Jin Li, let’s split up and return to Liu Manor. If…..if something really goes wrong, hide well by yourself!”

In fact, at this point, Liu Zhenqing’s initial guess was that it had something to do with what happened the day before. But on second thought, did the Eighth Princess and the First Princess have the ability to command the Jinyiwei to temporarily close the city? Unless they had found some reason to frame him.

He could either go back to Liu Manor or hide and see what happened. In any case, he couldn’t show himself rashly now.

Although Jin Li was anxious and worried, after procrastinating, he finally chose a path to return to Liu Manor, while Liu Zhenqing planned to observe for a while in the east part of the city.

He put on the hood of his cloak and hid in the narrow alley, using the accumulated debris there as cover as he watched the Jinyiwei team split up to search. Their goal was clearly to find him.

Liu Zhenqing weighed his options, and was thinking about the next step when he suddenly felt a cold chill suddenly approach behind him.

When he was Prime Minister Liu, he had been attacked so many times that he was conditioned to be vigilant. Liu Zhenqing turned sideways to avoid it, only to see a big saber slash past his ear and hit the wooden boxes directly behind him.

Liu Zhenqing kept away along the wall, and soon, five people dressed as commoners appeared in his field of vision. However, they looked menacing and were holding sabers, so they were clearly thugs.

The most important thing was that they looked familiar. Liu Zhenqing’s memory was amazing, and he had an impression of these appearances from when he was calculating the length of the contingent before.

“Who are you people? Do you intend to kill me?” Liu Zhenqing grabbed a wooden stick and quickly repelled the person who rushed toward him. He didn’t know martial arts, and had no chance of winning against so many people at once, so he could only think of other ways. “Let’s calm down and talk this out, I can pay you.”

Suddening, an eerie laugh came from deep in the alley. Liu Zhenqing looked to the side, and his eyes instantly widened.

He saw Rong Shiming standing not far away, wearing something like a mask. “Liu Xiaozhu, I will take your life today!” Because half of his teeth were chipped, his voice was accompanied by the whistle of air, and sounded very strange. But Liu Zhenqing had no time to laugh. This guy was really going to kill him.

It was clear that Rong Shiming held a grudge. Knowing that he would leave the capital today, he had arranged for the killers to join his team. They had probably intended to wait for him to leave the city and follow him out, then intercept him on the way. However, since the city was closed, they could only surround and kill him inside the city instead.

That was to say, the matter of sealing the city and the Jinyiwei at least had nothing to do with the First Princess.

Liu Zhenqing had no time to think about it. This person was already insane, and begging was useless, so…..

“Help, ah, Jinyiwei, Liu Xiaozhu is here!” Liu Zhenqing shouted loudly. The Jinyiwei had just left, so they must have heard him.

Now he could only pray that the delay would work.

But the difficulty was too high, and the narrow alley quickly became a hunting ground. Liu Zhenqing was forced into a desperate situation before he could run a few steps, and his stick was knocked away. If he hadn’t happened to be wearing the Liu family’s special clothing, which was thick and strong, he would have been cut just now.

Rong Shiming saw that a blade was about to hit Liu Zhenqing in the head, and just as he started to laugh ferociously, he saw Liu Zhenqing point in his direction and shout: “Huo Fenglie!”

Rong Shiming was startled for a moment. The fear of being beaten made him cry out, and he quickly crouched down and turned around, which also caused the thugs to turn their heads and look at their employer.

But when Rong Shiming saw that there was no one behind him, he knew he had been deceived, and became furious at once. When he turned around to look back, Liu Zhenqing had already seized the opportunity and dashed toward the entrance of the alley.

“Chop him to pieces for me!”

The thugs took their orders and rushed over, while Liu Zhenqing glanced back at the situation and ran forward with all his strength. Just as he was about to run out of the alley, his body’s danger sense suddenly felt a more chilling sense of crisis than before, but…..it didn’t seem to be murderous.

Too late to react, he turned around to look back and bumped into someone with the side of his face. Although it was as hard as an iron plate, it was indeed a man’s chest. And then his arm was grabbed tightly, with a force that almost crushed his forearm.

Liu Zhenqing immediately paled, thinking that they had a sixth person. He raised his head, but unexpectedly ran into a pair of familiar yet unfamiliar eyes. They were familiar because of the person who had come, but unfamiliar…..because the eyes were red? It was an abnormal dark red that seemed to hide chaos and madness.

“G….General Huo?”

Liu Zhenqing cried out in surprise, but the person behind him was temporarily invisible due to the angle.

Rong Shiming yelled: “The dog still wants to use his master’s name to make threats? Hurry and chop him to pieces!”

Huo Fenglie seemed to be unaware of the others, and simply grasped Liu Zhenqing by the arm to stare at him closely.

But Liu Zhenqing suddenly felt at ease. Although he didn’t know what was going on with Huo Fenglie, with him here, it would not be easy for those people to kill him.

Sure enough, at some point in the next second, Huo Fenglie took action. A cold black light flashed, and the two people rushing forward at the front fell silently beside Liu Zhenqing. They didn’t even have the chance to scream.

“Huo…..” Rong Shiming finally caught sight of him, and his legs weakened at once as he continued to retreat. “Quick, kill, kill……”

Those people didn’t see Huo Fenglie’s attack clearly, yet their companions were dead like this. Who would be stupid enough to rush forward? Thus, they naturally ran like crazy.

But Huo Fenglie might not have even looked at the enemy. His eyes never looked away for a moment as he continued to stare at Liu Zhenqing. 

He just raised his hand, and the Chunjun sword flew out of his hand at a tricky angle. It flew through the air with the low roar of a dragon, and the Hundred Steps Flying Sword killed the remaining three people in succession. With a finally clang, it plunged into the ground in front of Rong Shiming, penetrating down several inches. He was instantly shocked, and fell to the ground. The bloody smell it brought was so frightening that Rong Shiming wet his pants on the spot.

It was too late to get up and run, because Mo Qi had already fallen behind him and held his shoulders.

At this time, Liu Zhenqing finally breathed a sigh of relief and took two casual steps away. It truly was casual, but Huo Fenglie in front of him didn’t know this, and the hand holding his arm suddenly slid to his wrist and tugged hard as if he had been provoked, causing Liu Zhenqing to be knocked back again.

Liu Zhenqing looked up in astonishment at Huo Fenglie, who was closer than before. He could almost feel Huo Fenglie’s rapid, hot breath when he raised his head. The heat seemed abnormal, just like his eyes.

And what was even more abnormal was what Huo Fenglie was doing at this moment.

The God of War Huo Fenglie, who stood in front of thousands of troops with a calm expression, was now in a state of disarray. He gripped Liu Zhenqing’s wrist tightly as if he had lost his bearings, lowered his crimson eyes, and said in a slightly unsteady voice: “You…..where are you going?”

Liu Zhenqing: ? ? ? Did he not know he was leaving the city?

“I….I just wanted to leave the capital, but…..”

Huo Fenglie’s face changed slightly. His lips trembled faintly as if he wanted to say something but couldn’t speak, and the ends of his eyes gradually drooped. For a moment, Liu Zhenqing thought he had said something excessive and hurt him.

And Mo Qi was even more shocked, because he had never seen General Huo communicate with someone in a gentle manner when his old illness relapsed. This…..this could be considered tender.

Could it be that the general had taken medicine, or that the attack was not serious? But the red in his eyes hadn’t faded yet, ah.

Just as he was becoming frightened, Mo Qi heard footsteps and immediately warned him: “General, the Jinyiwei are here.”

Liu Zhenqing frowned and said hurriedly: “General, I’ll leave first, I can’t…..”

Before Liu Zhenqing could say anything, hurried footsteps came from outside the alley. It was clearly too late.

“Where is he?” The visitor asked loudly, but the moment he saw clearly, he lowered his head at once and saluted. “Respects to General Huo!”

Liu Zhenqing had no time to respond in this short amount of time, and was caught off guard by Huo Fenglie, who held him with one arm and used the other hand to pull up his cloak and cover him completely.

Liu Zhenqing was stunned for a moment before understanding, and cooperated at once. He didn’t move, allowing Huo Fenglie to hold him tighter and tighter. He just thought this was to hide his appearance, and worked hard to keep close, even pressing his cheek against Huo Fenglie’s collarbone.

At this moment, Liu Zhenqing felt that something was wrong with Huo Fenglie’s body. This heat…..was it a fever? And his stiffness was accompanied by a slight tremor. Was he in physical discomfort?

Because he couldn’t see, Liu Zhenqing was unaware of the horrified expressions on the faces of the people watching this scene.

Jinyiwei: This kind of scene, could they even dare to think about it? General Huo…..was…..holding a…..man, right? They weren’t blind, right?!

Mo Qi: The general was holding Liu Xiaozhu? Even if he wanted to save the person, there was no need to make this kind of sacrifice! With his status as a general, protecting Liu Xiaozhu was just a matter of a few words. At the worst, he could go back and apologize to the emperor and explain. Although the general was not obsessed with cleanliness, he rarely had such contact with others, ah! And the way he lowered his head and gaze, disregarding the people approaching and only caring about the person in his arms, seemed like there was a feeling of vulnerability and fear of losing something. No, what bullshit description was this! He must be hallucinating!

The atmosphere was strangely silent for a few seconds before the Jinyiwei  reacted and quickly said: “We were ordered to arrest the Liu family suspects. We just heard…..huh? Rong Shiming. General, this Rong Shiming is also a wanted criminal and must be arrested…..” The Jinyiwei was shocked upon realizing that there were other people there.

Rong Shiming had originally thought he would be saved when they came, but didn’t expect that he would be arrested. “Are you crazy? What are you talking about? I’m…..”

“Bias and fraud were discovered in this year’s Imperial Examination. The Emperor ordered this morning that there will be a thorough investigation, and you are on the list of people to be detained.”

Rong Shiming realized something, and his expression suddenly changed.

“General?” Mo Qi asked for Huo Fenglie’s intentions. Seeing that Huo Fenglie didn’t care at all, he followed regulations and handed the person over to the Jinyiwei.

Rong Shiming only returned to his senses once he was taken into custody. Although he was in a panic and wanted to drag the other person down with him, when he pointed at the person Huo Fenglie was holding and tried to speak, his jaw was broken by a fist from the quick-sighted Mo Qi.

Rong Shiming screamed with a mouth full of blood. All his remaining teeth were gone. This time, he could no longer say anything, and could only scream.

The Jinyiwei regarded Mo Qi with strange expressions.

“Sorry, there was a private grudge from before, and I feared there would be no chance to get back at him in the future.” Mo Qi rubbed his fist with a smile.

The others were no fools, and naturally guessed something. The leader of the Jinyiwei happened to be standing near Huo Fenglie, so he stepped forward and said: “General, we have been ordered to arrest this person……”

As soon as he reached out his fingers, he was stabbed by a gaze full of danger and warning. Those dark red eyes seemed to be bloodshot, and were so lethal that he didn’t dare look into them directly. They seemed to say that if those fingers got closer, they would be gone.

The leader of the Jinyiwei quickly retracted his hand, and just as he was about to speak, he heard a low, hoarse voice. It was like a beast holding prey in its mouth, warning those around him not to covet it.

He announced without hesitation:

“This person is mine.”

Jinyiwei: ? ? ?

Mo Qi: ! !

Liu Zhenqing: Er-gou was stealing someone from the Jinyiwei. Was he trying to protect him? Was…..his kindness toward the twins worth Huo Fenglie protecting him like this? And when Huo Fenglie was protecting him before, he had a cold and distant attitude toward him. Why did it feel like something wasn’t right now?

The uneasiness in his heart made Liu Zhenqing instinctively want to keep a little distance from this embrace, but after only moving a little, he was suddenly hugged tightly again. One arm tightly restrained Liu Zhenqing’s waist as if to cut it off, and the other hand also came up, making Liu Zhenqing unable to move at all.

Jinyiwei: Huh….it feels like General Huo is using his behavior to act out what “mine” means.

Mo Qi: This possessive and…..childish performance must be an illusion.

But Liu Zhenqing only thought that Huo Fenglie was preventing others from seeing him.

The footsteps of the Jinyiwei soon faded, and Liu Zhenqing nudged Huo Fenglie, who had not yet moved.

It wasn’t until this moment that Huo Fenglie let go of Liu Zhenqing.

Liu Zhenqing raised his head to look, and found that Huo Fenglie’s eyes had returned to black. They were as indifferent and calm as before, but with something hidden in them that gave him a feeling of unpredictability. 

Liu Zhenqing was a little worried, but still said: “Thank you, General Huo. I…..”

Before Liu Zhenqing could finish speaking, he heard Huo Fenglie say in a low voice: “You can’t leave. Come home with me.”

Liu Zhenqing: ? ? ?

Seeing Liu Zhenqing’s shocked expression, Huo Fenglie lowered his eyes and repeated in a lower but equally firm voice:

“Come home with me…..

…..Young Master Liu.”

---

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Chapter Twenty-Six << Table of Contents >> Chapter Twenty-Eight

Everyone watched this scene in horror. The guards were so stimulated by this ferocious situation that they drew their swords, and at that same moment, they suddenly heard the imposing sound of uniform steps. In the blink of an eye, dozens of saber-wielding soldiers poured in through a passage. It was General Huo’s personal guard.

The people leading the team were naturally the two brothers Mo Yu and Mo Qi.

“Protect General Huo! Any aggressors will be killed without mercy!”

Their imposing manner drawn from the battlefield intimidated everyone. Those guards didn’t dare to do anything to General Huo. It had just been an instinctive reaction. At this moment, their instincts were forced back, and they could only quickly put away their swords.

“Huo Fenglie, what do you mean by this? Do you intend to besiege my Princess’s Palace after beating someone?” The First Princess was already furious.

There was a flash of dark red in Huo Fenglie’s eyes, causing the First Princess to hold her breath for a moment as they looked at each other, and she felt that Huo Fenglie was more dangerous than before.

“It was nothing but a punishment for Young Master Rong’s bad mouth,” Bai Su explained. “And the soldiers of the Huo family army are doing their duty to ensure the General’s safety. As long as the guards retreat, they will back down as well.”

The First Princess’s face was frozen in anger, but seeing the fierce-looking Huo family soldiers before her, as well as Huo Fenglie, who looked like a murderous god, she could only grit her teeth and wave the guards back.

As soon as they retreated, the Huo family soldiers naturally stepped back to stand behind Huo Fenglie as solemnly as statues, perpetually protecting their general.

Things had progressed to this point, and the spring outing banquet could no longer continue. The First Princess sent all the guests away on account of poor hospitality.

Everyone said goodbye one after another, but didn’t dare to leave. They wanted to wait for Huo Fenglie to leave first before they made any movements.

Naturally, the Huo family soldiers surrounding Huo Fenglie waited for their orders.

Finally, Mo Yu led the team and left with Huo Fenglie, encircling him tightly as if to prevent outsiders from peeking at him. Seeing this, Bai Su did not follow him, but departed with Liu Zhenqing.

However, when they were about to go out, they found Mo Qi waiting for them at the door.

“Young Master Bai, Young Master Liu…..”

There were three Young Master Liu’s here, and the other two didn’t dare to come forward to communicate with the Huo family soldier. Seeing that the lieutenant general had something to say, they quickly gave their thanks for General Huo’s help and slipped back into the carriage to wait.

Bai Su stepped forward in inquired: “How is Zhanyuan?” His mood fluctuated so much that his body must be…..

“The general is fine. He is resting in the carriage, and sent this subordinate to deliver a message to Young Master Liu.” As Mo Qi spoke, he looked at Liu Zhenqing.

Liu Zhenqing’s thoughts were hazy. From Huo Fenglie’s fury just now to the two people discussing Huo Fenglie’s situation in front of him, he could only think of one thing. Er-gou harbored hatred, and from how he was stimulated by others, it was not small.

Did he really hate him so much that after eight years, it hadn’t dissipated at all?

The sentiment on Liu Zhenqing’s face likely caused Bai Su to misunderstand, and he said with a sigh, “Young Master Liu, do you still remember what I said before? This has nothing to do with you, so don’t worry. This time it was Rong Shiming who was so bad-mouthed that he even talked nonsense about Huo-dage and Sister-in-law Huo, and even brought up Huo-dage’s death. He was simply seeking death!”

“What! How dare that stinkbird^[1] mention this to the general? Sure enough, I shouldn’t have let Mo Yu stop me. If I’d known, I would have added a few more blows to directly cripple him!”

Mo Qi’s character was not very rigid, and at this moment, he wanted to fight back with his fists.

Liu Zhenqing didn’t speak, and also didn’t dare look them in the eyes. He was speechless and could only……escape.

“I caused trouble for General Huo today, so I will not bother him anymore. I ask that Lieutenant General Mo convey my apology and gratitude to him.” Liu Zhenqing bowed and saluted.

Mo Qi had already changed his opinion of Liu Zhenqing after his kidnapping last time, and said quickly: “I understand. By the way, the general asked me to tell you that you will be sent out of the city tomorrow. The general has left this matter to me. What are Young Master Liu’s specific arrangements?”

“I intend to leave as soon as the city gates open tomorrow, so the Liu family carriage will be waiting at the east city gate at maoshi to be led by Lieutenant General Mo. Is this feasible?” Liu Zhenqing seemed to be in a rush, and couldn’t help but speak faster.

Mo Qi nodded and said: “It’s feasible.”

Liu Zhenqing saluted and thanked him again, then turned around to thank Bai Su once more before turning around to leave.

But Bai Su suddenly remembered something and stopped Liu Zhenqing to say: “By the way, is Young Master Liu interested in solving mechanism boxes?”

Liu Zhenqing was taken aback and didn’t know why he had suddenly asked this. “I’m decent at it.”

Bai Su immediately smiled and said: “Although there were many conflicts today, when I watched Young Master Liu compete in the Thousand Locks, I realized that he is not a simple man. At that time, I made a bet with General Huo that if you could beat Rong Shiming, I would ask you to do him a favor and try to unlock a mechanism box.”

Liu Zhenqing didn’t react when these words came out, but Mo Qi was shocked. He said: “Young Master Bai, you……”

“Don’t worry, the general knows. It wasn’t a secret to begin with. I saw that Young Master Liu is leaving tomorrow and was afraid to miss this opportunity, just in case Young Master Liu is able to do it,” Bai Su said with a smile.

Liu Zhenqing really didn’t know what they were talking about, and wore a look of confusion.

In fact, this matter was truly not a secret. There were various rumors about it in the market, but the one in front of them had “amnesia,” so of course he didn’t know.

Bai Su explained: “Six years ago, General Huo was seriously injured on the battlefield. His sister-in-law was not around at that time, and no one could save him. At the critical moment, a white-haired but youthful-looking foreign master appeared and used special methods to preserve General Huo’s life until Sister-in-law Huo arrived.”

Liu Zhenqing’s heart clenched upon hearing this. Although he had long suspected that without him and Huo Feihan protecting him, Er-gou would have to have gone through many crises before becoming a war god, he still felt upset after hearing this.

“The foreign master did not leave his name, but only left a brocade box to General Huo, saying that there was something hidden inside. Some say it is a treasure, some say it is a martial arts book, and some say it is a panacea, but in any case, it’s a good thing……Nobody knows what he said to General Huo. It is only known that after this, General Huo searched all over the place for people who knew the art of mechanisms or were interested in this kind of brocade box, but none of them could solve it. Over the past six years, the box gradually turned into a rumor. Up to now, General Huo is still searching for someone to solve his puzzle.”

Liu Zhenqing said in a daze: “…..No offense meant, but it should be meant to fool people, ba.”

The ancients liked to pretend to be mysterious. For some purpose, they made themselves out to be like gods and ghosts, so as to highlight their uniqueness. Games like the Thousand Locks were popular in Great Zhou, so there were naturally many people of this kind. If none of them could solve it, it could only be said that there was no solution at all.

Bai Su smiled and said: “Actually, I have also studied it, and I also feel that it must be a trick. The mechanisms inside the brocade box follow no rules at all.”

Mo Qi, who had been listening, could only nod. “Isn’t that right? All the capable people I contacted felt that the general had been deceived. I saw that old man and felt that his behavior was very strange. When he gave it to the general, he also said that when the time comes, the brocade box will be opened naturally, so the general didn’t have to be anxious and should just wait patiently. It felt really unreliable, but he did save the general, so the general seemed to believe him.”

Bai Su continued: “In short, I feel that you are rather good at such things, so I would like you to give it a try. How about taking a trip to the General’s Manor?”

Liu Zhenqing was unwilling to come into contact with the Huo family again. “Young Master Bai thinks highly of me, but I’m only a little good at it. So many capable people were unable to do it, so why should I give it a try?”

“It won’t hurt to try,” Bai Su said good-temperedly.

Liu Zhenqing knew that he couldn’t refuse openly, so he asked in detail about what kind of mechanism box it was.

When he heard that the complicated mechanism had ten turns in a row, he immediately frowned and said that he wasn’t at that level at all, so it was best to forget it.

With him having said this, Bai Su didn’t push him. With a rather regretful expression, he could only bid farewell to Liu Zhenqing.

When he sat in the carriage, Liu Zhenqing’s heart finally dropped. He urged the coachman to leave quickly, but was unaware that in another corner, a carriage was waiting quietly.

Huo Fenglie sat silently in the carriage, his dark eyes watching the Liu family carriage leave from a distance. His hands clenched involuntarily on his knees, as if he wanted to grab something. It wasn’t until the carriage disappeared that Huo Fenglie returned to his senses and inexplicably raised his hand toward his heart.

Then Bai Su came to see him, and when Mo Qi reported the next day’s arrangements, Huo Fenglie once again had a cold and distant demeanor, nothing out of the ordinary.

“By the way, I just asked Young Master Liu to help solve your mechanism box, but he refused and said he couldn’t do it.”

Huo Fenglie closed his eyes to rest and  gave a soft sound of acknowledgement.

“I hope I can find out the answer in this lifetime, or else I’ll die of curiosity,” Bai Su sighed.

Huo Fenglie didn’t respond. He only recalled what the foreign master had said about the brocade box.

That man said: When you feel incredibly confused, the contents will provide the answer.

This sounded like something impractical, such as a prophecy.

He had been confused many times in the past six years, but it still never opened. He had once wanted to know, but now he felt almost nothing.

Huo Fenglie stopped thinking so much, and the carriage of the General’s Manor gradually left in the opposite direction.

. . . . . . . 

Having returned home, Liu Zhenqing ignored his two cousins chattering excitedly to the family and quickly went to his room to pack his luggage. By the time the Old Master came to look for him, Liu Zhenqing had already begun to make arrangements for his departure.

The old man initially wanted to reprimand Liu Zhenqing for offending not only the First Princess and Rong Shiming when he went out, but also the Eighth Princess, but seeing Liu Zhenqing’s appearance of running for his life, he couldn’t say anything. If he wasn’t allowed to go, he would probably be unable to leave.

This time, there were no obstructions, and early the next morning, everyone in the Liu family stood at the door to see him off.

Liu Zhenqing took Jin Li to board the carriage, accompanied by four manor guards and two coachmen. He said goodbye to his family members one by one, and finally knelt down to salute the Old Master on behalf of Liu Xiaozhu, then went on his way with peace of mind.

Only, not long after he left, many people with weapons and ill-intentioned eyes gradually appeared around Liu Manor.

When the carriage arrived at the east city gate, Mo Qi was already waiting there.

Liu Zhenqing got out to greet him, and Mo Qi took him to the officials guarding the gate, where he introduced them and took out General Huo’s token. Because there were many people waiting in line early in the morning to pass review, it was inconvenient for Liu Zhenqing to jump into the long line. This token let the officials guarding the city know that their arrangements had been made by General Huo. They recognized it and let them pass the queue without any worries.

Liu Zhenqing calculated that based on the length of the retinue and the time it would take for them to pass and be checked by the gate guards, they could leave the capital in half an hour at most. At this thought, Liu Zhenqing’s low mood finally lifted.

Mo Qi was surprised to see Liu Zhenqing so happy, but he didn’t ask any questions, and only said: “It shouldn’t take too long. It’s cold this morning, Young Master Liu can go back into the carriage and wait. They have already noted down your identity, and they’ll just pass the carriage through later.”

Liu Zhenqing thanked him and said: “In that case, I will not delay Lieutenant General Mo. You must be very busy, and there is no need to waste time on us.”

Mo Qi had originally planned to complete his mission by watching Liu Zhenqing leave, but after some thought, it seemed unnecessary. Moreover, the Liu family entourage seemed rather nervous with him there, so Mo Qi cupped his hands in a salute and prepared to leave on horseback.

But after Mo Qi mounted his horse, Liu Zhenqing called out to him again.

“Does Young Master Liu have any other instructions?” Mo Qi asked.

Liu Zhenqing hesitated for a moment in thought, then gave a silent sigh. He would just consider it one last bit of help for Er-gou.

“Actually, I thought about it last night after going back and thought of a solution for the brocade box.”

Mo Qi’s eyes widened at once. He looked at Liu Zhenqing and said: “Young Master, please say it.”

“Since that strange master didn’t stipulate any rules for how it could be unlocked, nor by who, I thought that in this case, wouldn’t it be better to just split it open to see what’s inside? Why must it be solved step by step? When I discovered defective products in the past and couldn’t solve them, I just split them open. And no matter what material the brocade box is made of, I think that General Huo’s sword is up to the task. It should be a sword that can cut through iron as well as clay, and can easily split a brocade box.”

Liu Zhenqing said this casually.

Mo Qi was confused at first, and then enlightened, just like that time he set the fire. But in the end, he hesitated and said: “This…..could be considered cheating. Can…..can it be done?”

He felt that this method was not impossible to consider, it was just that no one would think in such an unsportsmanlike direction.

“Anyway, this is the only method I can think of.” Liu Zhenqing shrugged.

Judging by the look on Mo Qi’s face, he was shaken by the concept.

Liu Zhenqing shook his sleeves and cupped his hands. “I hope General Huo will be healthy and live a long life in the future. I will say farewell here.”

Mo Qi was taken aback, and felt that Liu Zhenqing still cared a little bit about the general even though he had lost his memory…..But when Mo Qi looked over, he felt that Liu Zhenqing’s expression didn’t look like longing, but more like…..he was giving his blessings to a junior.

He was bewildered for a moment, and then cupped his hands and left on horseback. 

Liu Zhenqing returned to the carriage, which soon began to move toward the city gate.

. . . . . . .

In the Imperial palace study, the emperor gave a sigh and said slowly: “It seems the Liu family really has a bad fate. Send an order…..for the Jinyiwei to arrest all members of the Liu family and take them to the Imperial Prison to await trial.”

“Yes!” He Cong, the commander of the Jinyiwei, accepted the order.

“Just in the name of the Imperial Examination fraud.”

As he spoke, the emperor lowered his head and lightly drew with the inked brush in his hand. On the paper were written the words “Spring Plowing Ceremony,” “rebellion,” “entering the capital,” and “river transport.”

Once the person left, the emperor said quietly: “Don’t blame me for being cruel……”

. . . . . . .

“What? Arrest the Liu family?” Qin Yu said in shock.

He Lan said as he left in a hurry: “Yes, ah, it was prepared an hour ago. I just got news of His Majesty’s decree and we’re about to take action.”

“Then Liu Xiaozhu…..has he left?” Qin Yu asked in confusion, frowning.

“I’m not sure, I’ve been busy lately. How about…..informing Zhanyuan? After all, Liu Xiaozhu performed a kindness for the twins, and Zhanyuan wants to protect him.”

“Fine, I’ll send someone to inform him.”

. . . . . . . .

When Mo Qi returned to the General’s Manor, he went straight to Huo Fenglie’s courtyard. Huo Fenglie was of course training hard at this time. 

When he saw Mo Qi coming back, he stopped and asked about his progress.

Mo Qi said: “Don’t worry, General, I have already made the arrangements. By the way, Young Master Liu told me before he left……”

Mo Qi relayed Liu Zhenqing’s words, and Huo Fenglie was taken aback.

“I think this method is feasible,” Mo Qi said.

Huo Fenglie’s eyes flashed, and he was stunned for a moment. Then he turned around and walked unhesitatingly toward the study.

And at this moment, someone jumped from the roof and attacked him.

Mo Qi was about to take action, but after seeing the person clearly, he stood still.

“Second Uncle! I’ve learned a new trick to try out!”

Huo Yunci flew toward Huo Fenglie in her fighting outfit, and Huo Yunqian also walked out from a doorway and watched with a smile.

Although Huo Fenglie usually trained with the twins, his mind was not currently on this. There was a strange sense of impatience spreading through his body, and he just wanted to end it quickly. The fastest way, of course, was to remove the opponent’s weapon and subdue them with a finishing move.

Little did he know that Huo Yunci was waiting for this.

When Huo Fenglie snatched the weapon from her hand and stabbed at her, Huo Yunci did not evade, but rushed toward him. Seeing this abnormal move, Mo Qi was shocked. He saw Huo Yunci use her arm as a shackle, directly letting Huo Fenglie’s knife-wielding hand pass underneath before clamping down hard. She had practiced this move for a long time and was afraid that she would not be able to catch it. After all, it was the key to the subsequent move.

But Huo Fenglie’s eyes changed slightly at the beginning of this move.

Perhaps the heavens were on her side, or perhaps Huo Fenglie was absent-minded, but Huo Yunci completed the first move.

In general, if one’s hand was stuck and their weapon was also taken away, according to martial arts routines, one would use their legs. 

But at this moment, Huo Yunci curled her lips in a smile, and a silver glint suddenly appeared in the fingers of her other hand. It turned out to be a hidden dagger.

The dagger swung at Huo Fenglie, aimed at his throat.

Huo Fenglie’s pupils shrank, and it was as if he was seeing countless double images. A familiar image replaced Huo Yunci in front of him, and his brother’s voice came to his ears.

The afternoon sun was just right, and several people were practicing martial arts in the courtyard.

“Zhenqing, watch carefully. The stab to the throat is an illusion. The other person will definitely tilt his head to avoid it like me. At this time, your wrist must immediately……”

Huo Fenglie tilted his head to avoid it and watched as Huo Yunci’s wrist immediately turned.

“Liu Zhenqing, you know where the carotid artery is, so just aim there…..if you can’t find it correctly, I’ll tell the master and see if he punishes you!”

The dagger in Huo Yunci’s hand stabbed directly toward the side of Huo Fenglie’s neck.

Such a ferocious move made Mo Qi’s eyes widen. He was amazed at this decisive move where the weak defeated the strong! And then his pupils quivered.

“General!”

“Jie!”

The two people watching shouted one after another.

Huo Yunci was also shocked. Her hand was too close and she couldn’t pull the move back, so she had to rely on Huo Fenglie to avoid it, but Huo Fenglie was lost in thought.

According to Huo Fenglie’s skill and Huo Yunci’s speed, this was a move that could be easily avoided. Huo Yunci just wanted to show off this newly acquired killing move. If he was injured…..

“Second Uncle!”

Almost as fast as lightning, Huo Fenglie grabbed her wrist when the dagger was about to penetrate his skin.

Huo Yunci breathed a sigh of relief. “Second Uncle, what are you doing? You scared me to death.”

But in the next moment, Huo Yunci was stunned. Because there was an indescribable expression on Huo Fenglie’s face, like something was breaking through the soil, like he was nervous and at a loss. But such an expression should not appear on her Second Uncle, ah. And at the same time, Huo Yunci felt that her wrist was about to be crushed.

“Second Uncle?” Huo Yunci was alarmed.

Huo Yunqian and Mo Qi also felt that something was wrong with Huo Fenglie. As they were about to approach, they heard Huo Fenglie ask almost harshly: “Where did you learn this trick?”

Huo Yunci was startled, and immediately became frightened, thinking that Huo Fenglie would forbid her from using such a dangerous trick. “Second Uncle, is it not good? I won’t use it anymore.”

“Who taught you this!” Huo Fenglie seldom shouted at his niece like this. “Was it your mother or…..”

“Mother?” Huo Yunci was stunned, clearly not expecting that answer at all.

Such a reaction also made Huo Fenglie rule out the only possible answer. His heart shook, and his pupils trembled.

Although Huo Yunqian didn’t understand what was going on, when his Second Uncle asked, he naturally told everything he knew.

“Actually, during the fight to the death at Longxing Gambling House last time, Uncle Liu didn’t know martial arts, but he used it as a panicked counterattack. Jiejie thought it was very useful, and gradually improved it into what it is now.”

Uncle Liu…..Liu Xiaozhu…..Liu……

All the ridiculous suspicions and wistful thoughts gathered in his mind. A figure flashed, and Huo Fenglie disappeared on the spot.

Someone once said: How can there be so many coincidences in this world? If there are too many coincidences, then no matter how unbelievable it is, it is the truth.

With the sound of the brocade box being chopped to pieces by a sword, a yellowed paper slowly fell in front of Huo Fenglie like an illusory feather.

Huo Fenglie reached out his hand to catch it. There was only one sentence written on it.

“Originally a guest from outside this world who did not expect to stir up dust, since a debt has been left behind, a soul will return.”

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[1] This is likely a play on Rong Shiming’s name. The character ‘ming’ ( 鸣 ) looks similar to the character ‘bird’ ( 鸟 ). ⮐

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Chapter Twenty-Five << Table of Contents >> Chapter Twenty-Seven

After eating, Liang Shu made a special trip to find Liu Xianche and ask him about what happened in Chuqiu City.

“The behavior of that group of people was very strange. It wasn’t sinister or loathsome, but rather, they had a sense of being out of place in the world,” Liu Xianche recalled. “I guessed at the time that they might have come from an isolated island in the eastern sea and had little contact with the world, so their words and actions seemed clearly different from others.”

But now that he thought about it, it was more likely that the other party lived in the dense forest than an island, because all the young men and women in the group had fair skin, and even their lips had no color at all. This was indeed a symptom of not seeing the sun all year round.

Liang Shu asked: “How did they conduct themselves in society?”

“They knew etiquette very well. Even when they were driven away by other doctors at the beginning, they did not get angry or make a fuss. Instead, they bowed and left, neither humble nor arrogant.” Liu Xianche said, “If it is really them in the dense forest, then they should be able to sit down and discuss terms with the prince.”

. . . . . . .

The fact that Liang Shu used the wind wings to speak to the forest tribe also spread to the Baifu Sect’s lair.

The gloomy weather made it so that even though the front hall was filled with candles, it wasn’t very bright, but rather a bit more depressing. Among them sat several Nanyang wizards wearing black robes. They were the guests that Mu Zhe had paid a large sum of money to invite, and were also old acquaintances he had met when he lived in the islands in his early years.

“Does Master Mu think that Liang Shu has the ability to convince those bandits living in the dense forest?” asked a woman in her twenties.

“Whether he can persuade them or not, both of them will die,” Mu Zhe said. “It doesn’t matter.”

The woman cackled. She had no objection to the fact that “anyone who went against them would die,” but what she objected to was the price. A pair of pretty eyes glanced at the next door, and she warned: “Master Mu, our efforts this time are much greater than yours. We are the ones who plotted and carried out the capture of Ku You. I fear you will still have to rely on us to recover the lost silver in the future. I’ve heard that your precious apprentice has been lying in bed for many days. Is he almost recovered?”

Mu Zhe said: “He is not the only assassin in the Baifu Sect.”

“I know, there is another one.” The woman’s gaze fell outside the window. Feng Xiaojin was walking through the courtyard holding a bowl of medicine. “But with all due respect, he doesn’t seem to want to do anything for Master Mu.”

Feng Xiaojin opened the door and saw Wumeng Yunyou reclining on the bedside, turning over a wooden sparrow in his hand.

“Where did that come from?” he asked.

“A-Le bought it when she went out.” Wumeng Yunyou tossed the bird onto the bed. “She said that everyone is rushing to get them and they are very rare, but I find it boring.”

Feng Xiaojin smiled. He sat on the side of the bed and handed him the medicine bowl: “A-Le has come to stay with you a lot recently.”

“Yes.” Wumeng Yunyou said leisurely, “She is just like me during this time, unnecessary.”

Under the offensive of Liang Shu and the Southwest Garrison, the Baifu Sect had stopped most of its external activities, leaving the Holy Maiden with nothing to do. Feng Xiaojin said: “This is a good thing.”

“I heard that the Master caught Ku You.” Wumeng Yunyou returned the empty bowl. “Has he been killed?”

“He is still valuable for now,” Feng Xiaojin said. “All those who enter the Baifu Sect must be drained of their last remaining value before they die.”

Wumeng Yunyou didn’t hear the deeper meaning in his words. He just held the wound under his ribs, slowly moved to sit up higher, and said with a frown: “Hiss…..I would like to see him.”

“Why see him, to look at how disgraced Ku You is now?”

Wumeng Yunyou didn’t deny it. Over the years, all members of the Baifu Sect had suffered a lot because of Ku You. Coupled with the deliberate exaggeration in their doctrine, everyone hated him deeply. For such a person to be imprisoned within the Baifu Sect, anyone would want to watch the fun.

Feng Xiaojin shook his head: “You have grown up. There is no need to look for such childish entertainment.”

“I also wanted to do something less childish, but alas.” Wumeng Yunyou patted his injury in boredom and asked, “Uncle, since the Master has kidnapped Ku You this time, Liang Shu will be furious. If he really fights with us, tsk…..will both sides suffer?”

“At that time, I will take you and Yunle and leave,” Feng Xiaojin said lightly.

Wumeng Yunyou opened his eyes wide. This was a path he had never imagined. “Leave?”

Feng Xiaojin nodded and left.

Even if the lives of this brother and sister were as short as fireworks after they left, they would not die in a cruel war or by Liang Shu’s sword, but by his side, among the beautiful green mountains and rivers of the Southwest.

Ku You was imprisoned in a secret cell not far from there. His eyes were still covered with silver gauze and he could not see anything. He could only rely on his hearing to make judgments.

A girl’s footsteps were different from those of an adult man, light and nimble. The fabric of the dress rubbed against itself, and the silver jewelry on her wrists jingled. When the guard saw her, he hurriedly bowed his head and saluted: “Holy Maiden.”

“Open the cell door,” Wumeng Yunle ordered. “I want to go in and take a look.”

The guard’s face showed reluctance, but he did not dare to disobey the Holy Maiden’s order. After much hesitation, he untied the chains and covertly signaled with his eyes for his companion to report the matter to the Master as soon as possible.

Wumeng Yunle ignored their small movements and bent down to enter the cell. She had heard Ku You’s name long ago and knew that he was the Baifu Sect’s third enemy behind Liang Yu and Liang Shu. Born in a nomadic tribe in the Northwest, he had the appearance of an evil god but prided himself on being righteous. She looked at the silver-haired young man in the shadows for a moment, then suddenly reached out and pulled off the silver gauze covering his eyes.

She wanted to see the rumored ominous golden eyes, but was shocked instead. The moment the silver gauze fell off, Wumeng Yunle let out a small exclamation and stepped back, a small dagger falling from her sleeve. She had never thought that there could be such eyes in the world, like mountains of gold illuminated by the sun, or like some kind of strange beast that only appeared in paintings.

Ku You turned to follow her voice. His gaze seemed stern and grave, but upon closer inspection, his pupils were still unfocused.

Wumeng Yunle breathed a sigh of relief and sheathed the dagger: “I thought you could see.”

Ku You asked: “Are you here to negotiate terms with me?”

“Interrogating you is for the Master to do.” Wumeng Yunle sat across from him. “I was just bored, so I came over to take a look. I heard that you personally signed the order to kill us all.”

“Shouldn’t an evil cult be killed?” Ku You asked.

“Evil or not evil, this isn’t for your emperor to say.” Wumeng Yunle looked at him. “Why can people live by following you, but believe in us and die?”

“What you say isn’t wrong. If people believe in your cause, they will die,” Ku You said. “It is not the Imperial court that wants them dead, but you and the so-called Baifu Buddha Mother behind you who want them to die. How many innocent people have been bewitched by you and have no intention of working honestly anymore? They abandon their fertile fields and sell their wives and daughters just to meet you once in exchange for eternal life at the end of the world. With such despicable and absurd teachings, do you still think you are not evil?”

Wumeng Yunle said unhappily: “That is because they want to offer their wealth and family members in exchange for eternal life. They are not bewitched by me.”

She threw the silver gauze in her hand back at the young man: “When you can see my face, you will not speak so rudely, but kneel on the ground in fear like the rest of them.”

Ku You closed his eyes and scoffed: “You are just an accomplice to evil.”

Wumeng Yunle had been instilled since childhood with the concept that all men should surrender to the compassion and beauty of the Baifu Buddha Mother. She raised her hand to touch her cheek, feeling angry that the other person was blind. She turned around to leave, but remembered another thing and asked: “Have you met Liu Nanyuan? I hear that she is also very beautiful.”

“I have never seen her,” Ku You said. “But every garrison officer wants to see her, and it has nothing to do with her beauty. The southwest is full of poisonous insects. Third Young Lady Liu once made three cartloads of cooling ointment and had it delivered for free, and also sent a large number of carefully developed prescriptions to traveling doctors across the southwest. In this way, if we really want to talk about the reincarnation of a compassionate Bodhisattva, I’m afraid it will not be your turn.”

Wumeng Yunle was extremely unhappy: “I will find someone to cure your eyes!”

“So the only weapon you can rely on is just an empty face.” Ku You’s voice was cold. “Even if you are really more beautiful than Third Young Lady Liu, so what?”

Wumeng Yunle didn’t want to talk to him anymore. She turned around and ran out, but instead of looking for Feng Xiaojin and Wumeng Yunyou, she broke into Liu Hengchang’s residence—this was the only doctor she knew who could possibly help her.

. . . . . . .

Outside the Valley of Ten Faces, Gao Lin chewed on a sesame seed cake without the ability to swallow it. While looking at the sky, he felt that Ku You was probably being hung up and beaten at this moment, and as he became more and more anxious, he turned to ask his sister: “It’s already the third day. Will the prince’s trick work?”

“Even if it doesn’t work, the army will be able to cut down the trees and enter the mountains tomorrow,” Cheng Suyue said. “If we can’t trick them, we’ll fight our way in. Even if the people living in the forest are really immortals, as long as they are not the same race as Second Young Master Liu, they should not be able to defeat our prince.”

Liu Xian’an’s nose was itchy from being talked about, and he squatted in the courtyard to sneeze a series of times. He felt dizzy and was not able to move for a long time. Liang Shu watched from a distance. It was as if he had fallen asleep with his arms hugging his knees again. Just as he was about to go out and bring him back, a soldier rushed in and said: “Reporting—”

The raised voice made Liu Xian’an tremble with fright, and when he looked up, he saw a black shadow rushing toward him and was instantly stunned. The soldier also ran forward, only to realize that there was someone crouching on the path. He tried to stop, but was too late, and could only scream “Aaah!” At the critical moment, His Royal Highness Xiao Wang descended from the sky and lifted the lazy egg into his arms, also giving a hand to the soldier who was tripping over himself.

“Your High-high-high—” The soldier was in shock, and it took him a long moment to say his next words. “Your Highness, the people from the forest are really here, a whole group of them!”

As for the specific extent of a ‘whole group,’ it was difficult to describe, but when they walked out of the forest with their snow clothes flying, the first reaction of the garrison was — could it be that the prince’s festive suona was really effective enough that the tribe was so annoyed that they moved out with their families?

Liang Shu walked quickly and asked: “What are they like?”

“Answering the prince, they all have excellent looks and communication skills,” the soldier replied. “They look similar to the two young masters of the Liu family.”

They had excellent looks and communication skills. Liu Xian’an thought, ah, there is an eighty percent chance Da-ge is really going to be sent out in exchange for the gold.

Gao Lin and Cheng Suyue wanted to receive the news first, and were already approaching the front hall. Gao Lin took a look from afar, and suddenly reached out and grasped his sister’s wrist: “Don’t go yet, look at me, am I seeing things clearly? Why is there a child in their arms?”

Cheng Suyue said: “They aren’t just holding a child.”

Among them was an old man with snow-white hair, a truly old man with a beard that could drag on the ground. And there was a woman with a big belly. Why would she participate in such activities even though she was pregnant? Cheng Suyue said in admiration: “Those who can pave the ground with gold bricks are truly different. I have changed my opinion now. I fear that our prince will not be able to control this kind of situation, and Second Young Master Liu will have to do it.”

The soldiers in charge of the reception were also very polite to this group of people. They felt that they were not like a wild tribe in the dense forest, but like gods. Thinking again, this group of gods had once robbed Mu Zhe of his gold and silver and injured his arm. With even more awe in their hearts, the scholars raised their hands and said loudly: “Everyone, please drink some tea first. Our prince will be here soon.”

One of them asked: “We heard that First Young Master Liu from Baihe Mountain Village is also here?”

“Yes, not only is First Young Master Liu here, but Second Young Master Liu is also here,” the soldier introduced enthusiastically. “So if any of you distinguished guests are ill, you can rest assured and look ahead boldly.”

Gao Lin stood at the door and sighed in distress.

How could he put it? The cultural quality of the entire Dayan garrison had truly plummeted.

Rushing out to the sea, never to return.

It needed to be improved urgently, urgently.

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Chapter One Hundred << Table of Contents >> Chapter One Hundred Two

He Feng and the others had first talked badly behind their backs, and even questioned the financial power of the Bo family. If this matter was not dealt with publicly—

Firstly, it would allow the guests to be even more critical in private, and secondly, it would allow Pei Yi and Bo Yueming to be unreasonably wronged.

Old Mrs. Bo had always been a person who said what she meant. She couldn’t be bothered to listen to the excuses of He Feng and the others, and directly asked a hotel attendant to “invite” them out.

The person in charge of planning the guest list this time was Xue Min, and one of the gossiping couples were good friends of her and Bo Lihong.

Old Mrs. Bo invited the other party out without giving them any dignity at all. Wasn’t this a backhanded jab to not give her any face?

Xue Min glanced at her indifferent husband, feeling embarrassed and unavoidably angry.

What could be done? After the collapse of the main branch, Bo Yueming had secured his position as director of Bo Group.

Although her daughter Bo Jiao and her son Bo Wang both worked at group headquarters, and their positions were not low, they were still lower than Bo Yueming.

How could she, their mother, not harbor any grudges at all?

Bo Peizhi looked around. Her eyes lingered on Xue Min’s face for a moment, then moved away, and she started the show with a bang.

“Thank you all for coming to my birthday party, but I still have to say a few words first.”

“Our Bo family has experienced a lot of turmoil in the past year, but now it has been resolved. Those who should not stay have already left, and the people remaining are standing upright!”

“I am old and not too inquisitive about other people’s business. The future of these grandchildren’s relationship and marriage is up to them.”

“Yueming and Xiao Yi are both good children. Although their marriage started as a business relationship, it is not limited to that.”

“I, Bo Peizhi, cannot tolerate certain things or people, and I don’t like hearing the clacking abacuses of those people making their own calculations. As long as I’m still standing, those unclean things will not appear before me!”

How could someone enter a truly wealthy family at will?

Bo Peizhi was tired of the harm caused by intrigue, and sincerely hoped that her grandchildren could find someone they truly loved, and live happily together for a lifetime.

Everyone understood what Old Mrs Bo meant, and even if they had other thoughts in mind, everyone was now aware of the situation and didn’t dare reveal them.

The birthday banquet started on time.

The guests invited by Old Mrs. Bo all had some capital. In addition to celebrating her birthday, this had naturally become another occasion for interpersonal communication.

Bo Wang picked up some champagne and whispered to Bo Jaio, “Sister…..you…..come with me.”

Bo Jiao asked knowingly, “Where are we going?”

“……”

Bo Wang tried his best to hint with his eyes toward Bo Yueming and Pei YI. “Don’t pretend to be confused when you understand. Hurry up.”

Bo Jaio teased, “You used to be so fierce. Why have you become more restrained recently?”

Despite her words, she still picked up a glass of red wine and said, “Let’s go, I’ll accompany you there.”

As soon as she finished speaking, Xue Min stopped them. “Wait a minute, where are you two siblings going? You’re not allowed to go!”

She sent a covert glance in the direction of Bo Yueming and Pei Yi, and there was a trace of resentfulness in her tone. “What kind of toast are you going to give to them? This family practically belongs to them, and you two are still rushing…..”’

“Xue Min.”

The sound of scolding came at once.

Xue Min froze, then turned around. Facing Bo Peizhi’s eyes that were still sharp enough to see everything, she gave an awkward smile. “Mom.”

Bo Peizhi gave the two siblings a look of gentle approval. “You can do whatever you like. Grandma supports you.”

That said, her eyes darkened a bit and she said commandingly, “Xue Min, come with me. I have something to talk to you about.”

“……”

Xue Min clenched her hands nervously, but could only follow.

Bo Jiao and Bo Wang watched this scene happen, but didn’t stop it. Instead, they continued on with their previous intentions.

The two siblings walked up to Bo Yueming and Pei Yi. The former took the lead and called, “Brother, Pei Yi, I would like to toast to the two of you.”

Bo Yueming and Pei Yi exchanged glances and raised their glasses in a dignified manner.

Bo Wang moved like a turtle, following his sister uncomfortably. He stammered, “U-um.”

“I used to be ignorant. I-I apologize to you. I’m sorry, I won’t do it again.”

“…….”

Pei Yi was a little surprised by Bo Wang’s proactiveness, and stared at the scene before him with great interest—

The young master from a wealthy family who was unbridled and arrogant in the past was now blushing from his neck to his ears. It was really a novel situation.

Perhaps sensing Pei Yi’s gaze, Bo Wang gripped the wine glass more anxiously.

He coughed and added an apology for Pei Yi. “The same goes for Pei Yi. I was the one who spoke such nonsense in the past. I’m sorry.”

Bo Jiao suppressed a smile and said, “Brother, Pei Yi, Bo Wang was always pampered by his family while growing up and is slow to understand things. It’s rare for him to have such awareness. You see…..”

Bo Yueming didn’t put on airs, and only touched his wine glass lightly. “The recent project was completed beautifully. From now on, work hard at group headquarters. It is yours, and no one can take it away.”

Somehow, the praise coming from Bo Yueming’s mouth seemed to be of particularly positive significance.

The corners of Bo Wang’s mouth suddenly rose, then went down at once. “Oh.”

This word was flat, as if he was still trying to be aloof and prideful.

After the short drinking session, Bo Wang seemed too embarrassed to stay any longer and casually found a reason to leave in a “fashionable” manner.

It was only that he was walking with the same hands and feet like a robot.

Bo Jiao laughed and turned back gratefully. “Brother, thank you.”

Bo Yueming replied to her, “Don’t speak so politely.”

When Bo Jiao left, Pei Yi asked with a smile, “Director Bo, let me interview you. You’re going to forgive Bo Wang just like that?”

Bo Yueming asked, “What about you? He spoke rudely to you before too. Have you forgiven him?”

Pei Yi raised his eyebrows, indifferent. “He’s a little brat, why should I fight with him? Besides, didn’t Inspector teach him a lesson for me?”

Hearing Pei Yi’s remarks, Bo Yueming smiled. “If he’s a little brat, what are you?”

Pei Yi got the implication and retorted, “My mental age must be older than his. Why haven’t you answered me yet?”

“I’m not unforgiving. It’s just that we live under the same roof, and it’s better to have less estrangement and hatred.”

Bo Yueming spoke the truth, taking Old Mrs. Bo into consideration. “It is enough that things happened once with the main branch and Bo Guancheng. I don’t want Grandma to be sad again.”

To be a little more realistic, Old Mrs. Bo was already at this age.

Bo Yueming only hoped that she could spend her old age in peace and joy, instead of worrying about the constant disputes between her children and grandchildren.

Pei Yi understood his lover’s views, and gently held his hand. “Actually, regarding the incident when he took the initiative to apologize just now, I think Bo Wang’s current situation seems to be…..not particularly bad?”

In any case, it was much better than his previous behavior of looking at people with his nostrils turned upward.

Bo Yueming agreed with a sigh. “We still need to believe in Grandma’s perception of people. She told me before that Bo Wang needs growth and experience.”

“Even if he can’t achieve great things, he won’t hold back on small things in the future.”

Pei Yi chuckled and took a drink, then turned the topic to someone else. “What about Xue Min? I feel like she’s still dissatisfied with your current position in the company.”

Bo Yueming replied calmly, “Didn’t Grandma call her away just now? It should be taken care of.”

Toward his nominal “mother,” Bo Yueming had no unnecessary feelings. As long as the two parties didn’t interfere with each other, everything would be fine.

What’s more, he had already made preparations and intended to leave the Bo family sooner or later.

Pei Yi didn’t want to blindly meddle in the affairs of others, so he didn’t ask further questions.

Bo Yueming tightened his grip on his hand and said, “You came back a couple of days early. Did you finish your work these past few days? Are you tired? Shall we go home a little early and rest?”

Pei Yi didn’t put on a brave face in front of his lover, and said out of courtesy, “Now? Didn’t Grandma’s birthday party just start not long ago?”

Bo Yueming replied, “Then we’ll stay for another ten minutes. We’ll talk to her before we leave, she won’t disagree.”

Pei Yi nodded his head. “Okay.”

. . . . . . . .

In the exclusive VIP lounge, Old Mrs. Pei sat down calmly with Aunt Song’s support.

Xue Min stood a meter away from the sofa, nervousness surging in her eyes. She used the opportunity provided by her mother-in-law’s “interrogation” to take responsibility for her mistakes.

“Mom, I was negligent in preparing the guest list, but I really didn’t expect that group of people to say such things, ah. I……”

Old Mrs. Bo interrupted her self-reflection. “I didn’t ask you about this.”

Xue Min was about to speak, but stopped.

Old Mrs. Bo signaled with her eyes for Aunt Song beside her to step aside temporarily. She waited until only the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law were left in the VIP lounge before she finally spoke.

“A-Min, it’s been more than twenty years, and you still hold a grudge against Bo Yueming for his identity?”

“……”

Xue Min’s breathing froze slightly. She felt that it wasn’t right to tell the truth at the moment, but it was also wrong to tell a lie.

Seeing that she didn’t speak, Old Mrs. Bo took the lead to mention, “Back then, the one who was truly in the wrong was Lihong. He not only harmed Yueming’s biological mother, but he also hurt you, who were innocent, even more.

Hearing the word ‘innocent,’ Xue Min’s eyes showed a touch of emotion. “Mom.”

She was a legitimate daughter raised by a wealthy family. She also had fantasies about love when she was young, hoping to be with one person for the rest of her life.

Bo Lihong had concealed his relationship history abroad before getting married. It was not until after their marriage that such shocking news broke, and Bo Yueming had been hanging around under her nose for so many years!

Xue Min understood that the other party didn’t ask to be born and was equally innocent, but she just couldn’t laugh it off.

Old Mrs. Bo continued, “The reason I valued you back then and favored you as my daughter-in-law was because you were an even-tempered person and a legitimate daughter, and you didn’t have too many twists and turns in your words and actions.”

Even if she had calculating thoughts, they were all written on her face and could not be hidden.

“I know that you have always thought of Yueming as an illegitimate son. You feel that I am too partial toward him, and now I have given him the position of executive director of the group.”

Bo Wang and Bo Jiao, who were also grandchildren, were now under his control. They were both mothers. Old Mrs. Bo could understand Xue Min’s resentfulness. 

Which biological mother wouldn’t prefer her biological children?

“But let me say, there is only one executive director position. Jiaojiao and Xiao Wang are nearly three years younger than Yueming, and have several years less experience than him.”

Old Mrs. Bo bluntly pointed out the bloody facts, “If I handed over the position to one of the siblings now, would they be able to handle it?”

“Or now that Lihui is in prison, should I hand over the position of executive director to Lihong?”

Xuemin was not a stupid person, so she naturally understood the deep meaning in Old Mrs. Bo’s words.

Her husband had continuously acted lazy and unrestrained for so many years, so how could he be capable of taking charge? And the two siblings Bo Jiao and Bo Wang had little experience, so it was likely that the senior shareholders would not be completely convinced.

According to both sentiment and reason, Bo Yueming was indeed the most suitable candidate.

“Mom, I understand what you mean, and I know that my thoughts cannot be put on the table—” Xue Min simply did away with the pretenses and did her best to think about her children.

“I also saw what happened to the main branch family. I, I’m just afraid that Bo Yueming won’t be able to tolerate Jiaojiao and Xiao Wang.”

“Foolish!” Old Mrs. Bo scolded her lightly and gave her the facts. “Yueming had no thoughts toward the group from the beginning. He stayed to work for my sake.”

“Before he temporarily took charge of the group, Yueming made it clear to me that he would stay in this position for a maximum of three years!”

Three years would be enough for Bo Jiao to fully grow into her own person, and enough for Bo Wang to get more training.

When the two siblings were able to take over the group, Bo Yueming would choose to leave.

When Xue Min heard Old Mrs. Bo’s frank words, she couldn’t believe it. “He really said that?”

Old Mrs. Bo replied, “Why would I lie to you? Jiaojiao has the same boldness I did back then. Although Xiao Wang’s temperament mirrors his father’s, it is not impossible for him to be honed.”

Who could accomplish great things without growing and being tested?

“As a mother, you can’t be so fussy, lest it affect the relationships between your children again. Do you want what happened to the main branch family to happen to you?”

Xue Min shook her head.

She knew Old Mrs. Bo’s temperament. There was no reason for her to lie to her at this time.

“Even if you only stop for three years, it will be enough. By then, you will naturally understand the weight of what I have said today.”

As Old Mrs. Bo spoke, she took off the bracelet on her wrist and handed it to Xue Min.

Xue Min was taken aback. “Mom, what is this bracelet?”

Old Mrs. Bo motioned, “What my mother left for me back then is now in your hands. Keep it!”

She had originally thought that since she had two daughters-in-law, she couldn’t favor one over the other, so she kept the bracelet hidden and didn’t take it out.

But now that her eldest son and grandson were in prison, and the eldest daughter-in-law had filed for divorce and returned to her parents’ home, there was no longer anything to worry about.

Xue Min understood the weight this bracelet represented, and was moved. She was silent for a long moment before finally acquiescing to Old Mrs. Bo’s good intentions.

The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law had a rare heart-to-heart talk for a while. It wasn’t until Bo Yueming came to the lounge and knocked on the door that they stopped talking.

Xue Min thought about the guests who were still in the banquet hall and took the initiative to stand up, saying that she would go over to entertain them first.

When she passed by Bo Yueming, she paused slightly, but still left without saying anything.

Old Mrs. Bo looked at Bo Yueming. “What is it?”

Bo Yueming said frankly, “Grandma, Pei Yi has been rushing back to the capital these past two days. He looks a little tired. I want to take him back first, and then I can return to accompany you later?”

“It’s fine. If you go back and forth, you’ll be tired too.”

Old Mrs. Bo waved her hand with a hint of understanding from one with experience. “As the saying goes, absence makes the heart grow fonder. You just go home and don’t worry about me.”

Pei Yi’s ability to return for her birthday party was enough to show filial piety.

Bo Yueming didn’t pretend to be polite. “Then, Grandma, I’ll leave first? Pei Yi is still waiting for me.”

Old Mrs. Bo recalled Pei Yi’s remarks in the rest area not long before, and her eyes showed appreciation. “Yueming, you two take care of each other. No one will be confused in the future!”

Bo Yueming accepted her advice and said, “En, I understand.”

. . . . . . . .

After receiving permission, Bo Yueming walked back quickly. Pei Yi was waiting at the end of the corridor. “Er-ge, how did it go?”

Bo Yueming held his hand firmly again. “How else could it go? Grandma agreed to let me take you home to rest first.”

Pei Yi swung his arm lightly. “Did you meet Xue Min just now?”

Bo Yueming replied, “Yes, she happened to be going out when I went in. Why?”

The two entered the elevator and pressed the button for the first floor.

Pei Yi watched the elevator door close and said curiously, “I don’t know what Grandma said to Xue Min, but she came up to me just now and said—”

He relayed exactly what Xue Min had told him, “If we’re free next Saturday, she would like to invite us to have dinner together at home.”

“Er-ge, do you want to go?”

Bo Yueming knew that Xue Min’s change of attitude was definitely the result of Old Mrs. Bo’s persuasion, but he still had a small obstacle in his heart.

“It’s still a few days away, let’s talk about it then.”

“Okay.”

. . . . . . . .

Ding-dong.

The elevator door opened.

Bo Yueming and Pei Yi held hands and walked a few steps outside, then ran into a figure who looked back at them in a panic—

Bo Lihong hadn’t been in the banquet hall, and was coming back from who knew where. Their eyes met. There was a very unnatural nervousness on his face, as well as a hint of inexplicable stiffness.

Although they were father and son by blood, the relationship between Bo Lihong and Bo Yueming was equivalent to nothing, and they didn’t talk much when they met.

Bo Yueming noticed Bo Lihong’s lack of comportment and frowned slightly.

Before he could figure out the reason, Bo Lihong quickly got into the elevator and closed the door.

Pei Yi was surprised. “Er-ge, what’s wrong with him?”

Bo Yueming shook his head and walked out with his lover. “I don’t know. Don’t worry about it.”

Pei Yi still felt that Bo Lihong’s behavior was strange, and couldn’t help but look back at the closed elevator.

Suddenly, the sound of heels tapping on the floor approached.

Pei Yi felt Bo Yueming, who was leading him, stop walking. Then his lover inexplicably squeezed his hand until it hurt.

“…….”

Pei Yi was startled for a moment. He looked down at Bo Yueming’s hand, where his veins were suddenly protruding. “Er-ge?”

At the same time, a cry of disbelief sounded. “Ryan?”

Ryan?

Pei Yi heard this relatively unfamiliar foreign name, but before he could raise his head to see the person in front of him, Bo Yueming actually turned around and led him back.

Pei Yi’s innate intuition caused him to pull Bo Yueming to a stop. “Er-ge, wait!”

He turned sideways to look and met the face of the visitor for the first time, as well as a pair of—

Dark blue misty eyes that were exactly the same as Bo Yueming’s.

---

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Chapter Ninety-Eight <<Table of Contents >> Chapter One Hundred

Rong Shiming was startled. He saw the sharp arrow coming, and no matter how brave he was, he instinctively dodged.

At this moment, the fruit on his arm slipped off.

The sharp arrow also pierce the position where his arm was originally held flat. Although it avoided any vitals, it still cut his clothes and drew some blood.

If he hadn’t dodged, his arm would have been pierced at that moment. Rong Shiming’s expression changed greatly. He held his arm as his whole body shook uncontrollably. This was the first time he had been hurt by an arrow.

The onlookers around couldn’t help but exclaim. Even the First Princess stood up and called for the doctor to bandage him, then immediately held the leader of the guards accountable.

The guard was aggrieved and knelt down, crying out: “Your Highness, this servant is unjustly accused. Young Master Liu just asked General Huo to look at this servant. This servant only made a mistake after being disturbed. This servant……”

Rong Shiming was assisted back. When he heard this, his pale face turned red with anger. He was about to rush toward Liu Zhenqing, but when he saw the look on Huo Fenglie beside him, he froze.

“Young Master Liu, please explain!” The First Princess said angrily.

Liu Zhenqing said with an innocent expression: “I wanted General Huo to take a look at the guard’s shooting method. The distance was so close, the force was not strong, and he was very accurate. There must be something worth learning from, so I asked General Huo to take a look.”

Huo Fenglie answered directly: “I saw. There was nothing worth learning from.”

These words were so irritating that both the First Princess and Rong Shiming began to breathe heavily.

Bai Su taunted: “You can’t use this ridiculous excuse because you’re afraid of losing. If no one is allowed to watch your side shoot arrows, then everyone should stop watching. Is it possible that General Huo’s eyes can still hurt people with their internal strength?”

“If you think it’s unfair, then why don’t you send someone to watch General Huo later? It’s okay with me.”

Liu Zhenqing looked like a little white flower enduring a grievance, making it so that the First Princess could no longer pursue the case. She could only admit defeat.

“All right, I want to see how many General Huo and the young master can make!”

Liu Zhenqing saluted Huo Fenglie, and then was crowded by the two cousins on the way to the tree. The two of them chattered endlessly. After all, they still thought Liu Zhenqing would be timid, but now that he only needed to stick two, the pressure had been reduced by a lot.

The servant next to him was trying to help place the fruits. Liu Zhenqing would choose a position and then adjust his posture, fiddling endlessly. He looked completely uneasy and distrustful.

“It seems that Young Master Liu is still frightened, but I believe that the heavens are on his side, otherwise he wouldn’t have gotten so lucky just now,” Bai Su said, standing next to Huo Fenglie with a smile.

“Lucky?” Huo Fenglie murmured, weighing the bow and arrow in his hands.

“Wasn’t it good luck, ah? I had originally thought you should scare Rong Shiming, but I didn’t foresee that the guard would be even more disturbed. Why didn’t I think of this? If Young Master Liu hadn’t been anxious and wanted you to learn from the guard, there wouldn’t have been such a coincidence,” Bai Su said with a chuckle, shaking his head.

Huo Fenglie didn’t respond. He suddenly drew his bow and nocked an arrow, and the sound of the bowstring tightening shocked everyone’s nerves. The arrow flashed with a cold light as it aimed at Liu Zhenqing, who had finally finished standing in position.

Liu Zhenqing glanced out of the corner of his eye and instinctively wanted to shout that he wasn’t ready yet, but noticed something strange in his surroundings.

That instant, there was a powerful and imposing aura. The two brothers standing next to Liu Zhenqing took a step back speechlessly, and the people around him couldn’t help but suck in a breath and go quiet.

How frightening it was when Huo Fenglie picked up a weapon was something that Liu Zhenqing simply could not understand.

He was the God of War who commanded an army of millions, the master of unfathomable martial arts. Countless lives had been lost under his blade, and the evil aura of violent battle followed him like a shadow, unable to be restrained. A veteran of a hundred battles would be afraid, much less a wealthy and well-fed young master in the capital.

The onlookers could not help but move back. Some wondered if, as the one being targeted, Liu Zhenqing would regret it and cry in the next second.

“G-General Huo, the fruit hasn’t been placed yet,” Liu Zhenqing said in a trembling tone, continuing his performance.

Ten meters away, he couldn’t see his expression clearly, but he knew that Huo Fenglie’s posture hadn’t changed.

“Adapt in advance.” Huo Fenglie’s cold voice came on the wind.

The corners of Liu Zhenqing’s mouth twitched.

The fruit was placed, and the servant stepped away. 

Before Liu Zhenqing could say anything, there was a whoosh like a thunderclap. The fruit on his head was shattered to pieces, the arrow stuck right above Liu Zhenqing’s head.

The people around him immediately exclaimed. Rong Shiming stood up at once and gave this scene a fierce look.

Liu Zhenqing froze and looked at Huo Fenglie with displeasure. This kid didn’t do it on purpose, right? But he had seen the arrow move to point right into Liu Zhenqing’s line of sight, and in that moment, it had seemed that the target was not the fruit, but Liu Zhenqing himself.

Liu Zhenqing put on a show and said with difficulty: “Y….you scared me to death. General Huo, could you please say something before acting?”

“The effect is better if you’re surprised. Young Master Liu’s cooperation just now was adequate,” Huo Fenglie said lightly.

Liu Zhenqing really wanted to scold Er-gou, and thought he might have done it on purpose. This sounded reasonable, but once it started, what about the second and third arrows? A timid person would be scared to death, always thinking about the next arrow.

Then, the second arrow was shot unexpectedly, and a fruit fell to the ground again.

It was that simple…..a draw.

When the others realized this, they finally dared to shout.

The two members of the Liu family were so excited that they danced in the audience area, and the breath hanging in their throats could finally be exhaled.

At this time, Rong Shiming’s face was completely dark. He hadn’t foreseen that Liu Zhenqing would really not move at all, and thought that it wasn’t that Liu Zhenqing was brave, but that Huo Fenglie’s move was effective. Because Liu Zhenqing had looked frightened just now.

Damn it, if that third arrow hit, he would lose. How could the dignified cousin of a princess be humiliated and punished? Absolutely not.

He saw that Huo Fenglie had fully drawn his bowstring, and would shoot the arrow at any time.

“General Huo, you really want to help the Liu family.” Rong Shiming thoroughly panicked, and spoke out to stop him at once. The attempt to provoke Huo Fenglie was his dying struggle.

Huo Fenglie glanced at Rong Shiming. He didn’t look like someone who would be shaken by words. Rong Shiming’s pupils quivered, and he immediately looked toward the First Princess for help.

“General Huo, it is already a draw. Will the third arrow still hit?” The First Princess no longer cared about the others, and openly threatened, “It seems that General Huo dislikes my cousin.”

If you find a way to spare others, you should spare them. It was time to take a step back.

But Huo Fenglie said directly: “I really dislike him.”

The First Princess’s breathing stalled. She instantly realized that Rong Shiming had provoked Huo Fenglie’s anger before, and the general had not yet forgotten it.

The First Princess could only glance toward Liu Zhenqing in the distance. Just as she was about to speak, Huo Fenglie cut in: “It’s useless to speak to him. Your Highness, it is better to watch the competition quietly.”

Having said this, he raised his bow to shoot the last arrow.

Bai Su knew that Huo Fenglie wouldn’t give the other party a chance. Moreover, it was tantamount to transferring their possible resentment from the Liu family onto himself. It was him, Huo Fenglie, who wanted Rong Shiming to be punished, and it had nothing to do with Liu Zhenqing.

But in this sure-win situation, Liu Zhenqing in the distance seemed unable to withstand this unforeseen pressure any longer. The moment the feathered arrow flew out, he whimpered, ah, and his body trembled.

The fruit swayed on his arm, and when it was about to slip off, Liu Zhenqing’s movements also became disordered as he tried to lift his arm to steady it. This was very dangerous, because Huo Fenglie had already taken aim. If he moved like this and the original trajectory of the arrow remained unchanged, not only would it miss the fruit, but it would also hit Liu Zhenqing’s arm.

Bai Su saw this and sucked in a cold breath.

Everyone also lamented that Liu Zhenqing had failed to live up to expectations, and didn’t dare watch the scene of Liu Zhenqing about to be hit by an arrow.

The First Princess and Rong Shiming were naturally overjoyed when they saw this.

It was just that no one’s eyes were fast enough to follow Huo Fenglie’s movements. Of course, they didn’t see that at the critical moment when Liu Zhenqing moved his arm, the tail end of the arrow was just about to leave the end of the bow. In an instant, Huo Fenglie’s sword-like eyebrows jumped, and his fingers nearly invisibly moved the departing arrow, which instantly changed its trajectory.

With a hiss, the arrow stabbed firmly into the fruit and stuck into the trunk of the tree.

Everyone was in disbelief as they looked at this position that was clearly higher than normal.

Could it be that General Huo made a mistake, and when the other person also made a mistake, he just…..hit the target?

What a coincidence, ah!

Everyone exclaimed at this miracle, and the First Princess and Rong Shiming’s expressions changed drastically at this moment. They were in a towering rage.

Although Liu Zhenqing was also stunned, he also fell to the ground in a rather embarrassing manner, his head lowered as if in great fright.

Bai Su frowned and looked at Huo Fenglie, saying: “You actually made it, and no one was hurt.”

“En.” At this time, Huo Fenglie had turned around and set down his bow and arrows. He didn’t seem to care much about the scene in the distance. Such indifference seemed a  bit absent-minded, lacking the concentration from when he was aiming at someone just now.

Bai Su raised his eyebrows in bewilderment. He felt that Huo Fenglie had suddenly lost his spirit.

And at the moment, Liu Zhenqing was being supported by his two younger cousins. The corners of his mouth raised slightly at an angle that no one could see, and when he raised his eyes, he saw Huo Fenglie’s back in the distance. 

Er-gou, no matter what you’re thinking, you’re still unskilled when going up against your gege.

That’s right, Liu Zhenqing deliberately let Huo Fenglie shoot him in order to take his attention off him. After all, Huo Fenglie’s abnormality put him on guard. Simply acting like a coward wasn’t enough. He had to pay the ultimate price.

The plan had already been made when Liu Zhenqing asked Rong Shiming what would happen in the event of a draw.

He must make sure that he didn’t lose, while also ensuring that Huo Fenglie believed that he and “Liu Zhenqing” had opposite personalities.

The only way was to lose a round to Rong Shiming. Even if the little trick he used to scare the guard aroused suspicion, it didn’t matter.

As long as he lost a round, and at the cost of possible injury, it would definitely make Huo Fenglie lose interest, and he would not suspect anything. And with a draw, there would be no need for humiliation. It was the perfect solution to the crisis.

But he didn’t expect Huo Fenglie to be so capable. Not only did he not hurt him, but he also allowed him to win. In terms of skill, perhaps Huo Fenglie had surpassed his older brother. But as long as Huo Fenglie no longer suspected him, his goal was achieved.

“We need to make him pay up!” The third cousin said excitedly. 

“I don’t think it’s appropriate. How about turning hostility into friendship?” The third cousin couldn’t help but say.

“Why? Just now, they bullied us with disregard for the Liu family’s face. It’s not easy…..”

“Do you really want to offend the First Princess?!”

The third cousin shut the second cousin up with just one sentence. The two of them glanced at Liu Zhenqing as they spoke. Although they disdained Liu Zhenqing before, now that the game had been won by him and Huo Fenglie, they had to listen to the leader’s words.

“I think…..it may not be our turn to consider this matter.” Liu Zhenqing motioned for the two of them to look ahead. Sure enough, they saw the already furious Rong Shiming rush in front of Huo Fenglie and shout.

“Huo Fenglie, are you crazy? You’re targeting me like this!?”

As soon as these words fell, everyone around stopped talking and didn’t dare to get close. No one had the courage to dissuade Rong Shiming. The First Princess looked on with a gloomy face, and it seemed as if she wanted to support Rong Shiming.

Huo Fenglie was already a head taller than Rong Shiming, but now he looked down at him condescendingly, as if he was a joke.

“Young Master Rong, as you said before, if one makes a bet, they must accept defeat. Everyone played fair according to your wishes. Don’t be a sore loser.” Bai Su stepped forward and said: “Moreover, Young Master Rong, can you call General Huo by his name like this? Who do you think you are? You’re only a commoner, and you don’t even have an official position. I don’t know who taught you discipline!”

Rong Shiming pushed Bai Su away and shouted as if he had lost his mind: “Huo Fenglie, you are so protective of the treacherous minister’s kinsmen, people not in the know would wonder what your relationship was with Liu Zhenqing! Weren’t you enemies? Have you forgotten your brother’s blood feud?”

Hearing this, Liu Zhenqing’s expression changed slightly as he approached. When he glanced at Huo Fenglie again, the murderous look on his face was already visible to the naked eye.

“Young Master Rong, watch your words! The Emperor has already said that this Liu is not the other Liu. If you continue talking about this, you are ignoring the Imperial decree!” Liu Zhenqing said quickly: “It’s only a game, no big deal. The bet was just for fun, so let’s let it go!”

He couldn’t let this fool provoke Huo Fenglie anymore. It would be terrible if he got implicated.

But now, it was not a matter of following through with the punishment or not. Rong Shiming’s eyes were a murderous red, and he shouted loudly: “Bah! Huo Fenglie, have you forgotten that Liu Zhenqing wanted to take away your sister-in-law by force? He killed your brother, implicated the Huo family army, and brought disaster to the entire Zhou Dynasty. If you were a man, you wouldn’t help his fellow clansmen. Or are you simply having an affair with Liu Xiaozhu and protecting your little lover!”

Liu Zhenqing’s expression suddenly shifted. Although he had long heard about it, he really didn’t know why the relationship between the three of them had been arranged like this. He felt that Er-gou was often by their side at that time, and even though he was young, he should understand the relationships between them as an adult. But after so many years, his reputation had been ruined. For Er-gou, who hated him so much that he dug up his grave, how would he re-examine what he saw and heard back then?

Liu Zhenqing didn’t dare think about it, and didn’t even want to speculate. Even at this moment, he couldn’t look Huo Fenglie in the face.

Rong Shiming’s words were so shocking that everyone around him became nervous, not to mention how Huo Fenglie felt.

“If your brother and those who died in vain at the hand of Liu Zhenqing knew about this, they would definitely feel betrayed by your forgetfulness…..ah!”

A clang was accompanied by a flash of cold light and a cry. Everyone gasped and saw the tip of the dark Chunjun sword dangerously close to Rong Shiming’s throat. The sharp blade had pierced the skin, and blood flowed down instantly.

“Who do you think you are! Are you worthy of mentioning them!”

The sound was like a sword, murderous and bone-piercing. The emotion in his voice made clear that Huo Fenglie was thoroughly angry and would take Rong Shiming’s life in the next second. 

In an instant, the guards of the First Princess’s palace surrounded him and the situation became fraught. The already frightened Rong Shiming fell to his knees, but the sword did not move away from his neck. “How can General Huo kill people indiscriminately! I want to appeal to His Majesty!” The First Princess knew that something very bad was about to happen and called out quickly.

Bai Su was also anxious. “Zhanyuan, calm down. Don’t forget the Emperor…..” Bai Su wanted to remind him that since the Emperor was investigating the Imperial Examination fraud, Rong Shiming was destined to have no good things in the future, so why bother to take things into his own hands and let those old officials get a handle on him? It wasn’t worth it.

But this did not diminish Huo Fenglie’s anger, and he was about to take action.

Liu Zhenqing was worried too. He didn’t want to cause trouble for Er-gou, ah! But at the moment, he didn’t know what to say to stop him without exposing himself, so he could only panic and choose another way: “General, your sword is for killing enemies, not this kind of person. Don’t dirty your sword!”

He remembered that in the past, Huo Fenglie loved his sword very much, and said that killing scoundrels was not worthy of his sword.

But after saying this, Liu Zhenqing regretted wasting precious time. How could he care about a sword when he was so angry, ah! He had simply picked the most useless reason.

But as soon as these words came out, Huo Fenglie froze.

At last, he sheathed his sword and said coldly: “You are indeed not worthy of my sword!”

Just when everyone had breathed a sigh of relief and thought the crisis was over, Huo Fenglie took the bow next to him with his backhand, and with a sudden swing, smashed Rong Shiming in the face. In an instant, the bow shattered to pieces, and with a shrill scream, Rong Shiming spat out half of his teeth with a mouthful of blood. The bridge of his nose was also directly broken. The screams resounded throughout the princess’s residence as he lay down on the ground, writhing in pain. 

---

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Chapter Twenty-Four << Table of Contents >> Chapter Twenty-Six

In order to preserve his own life, Chi Teng had revealed almost everything he knew about the Baifu Sect during this period, and finally had two stable meals. But now he heard that Mu Zhe had tricked and kidnapped Ku You, and complained incessantly for some time.

It wasn’t that he didn’t want to tell, but he truly didn’t know Mu Zhe’s hiding place. The other party was extremely cunning and had lairs everywhere in the southwest. It was hard to find him at normal times, but wasn’t he hiding without a trace now?

“In order not to reveal his whereabouts, Mu Zhe rarely sends people to the jade quarries. He mostly uses green harriers to send messages,” Chi Teng said. “He personally tamed a flock of harriers, which are smarter than ordinary homing pigeons. They have green feathers and red eyes, they are extremely ferocious, and they fly as fast as lightning.”

Liang Shu looked at him: “How much are you worth to Mu Zhe?”

“……Me?” Beads of sweat broke out on Chi Teng’s forehead. He knew that he was useless to Mu Zhe, and was far from enough to exchange for Ku You. What’s more, the Baifu Sect’s methods of dealing with traitors had always been cruel. Thinking of this, he was terrified and said, “Mu Zhe has always regarded everyone as ants. He has devoted his life to creating gods, so he regards himself as a god.”

Believers frantically pursued the Baifu Buddha Mother, and Mu Zhe also developed a supreme mentality of looking down on all living beings.

It was hard to say whether Dayan’s emperor was an ant in Mu Zhe’s eyes at this time, but at least one thing was certain: he thought he was more qualified to sit in a high position and govern all things.

Cheng Suyue gave a covert “pei.” What an arrogant lunatic, hiding in the gutter.

“Your Highness!” There was the sudden sound of hoofbeats outside. “A strange-looking green harrier flew outside the camp with a letter tied to its leg!”

The totem of the Baifu Sect was stamped with wax. After taking it apart, it turned out to be Mu Zhe’s request for an exchange.

Gao Lin leaned his head over to take a look, and his eyes almost popped out of his skull: “Mu Zhe is actually insane. He didn’t mention any actual conditions for exchanging people. The listed gold and silver alone could stretch nearly a hundred carriages, not to mention the mountains of gems and pearls. Does he have any misunderstanding about Ku You’s worth?”

Although the commander of the southwest garrison was valuable, he was not valuable enough to empty half of the national treasury. He said: “Demanding an exorbitant price like this, isn’t he still waiting for us to haggle?”

Chi Teng plucked up the courage to interject: “Perhaps…..perhaps he wants the prince to retrieve his lost property for him.”

Gao Lin raised his eyes and asked in surprise: “Lost property. Are you telling me that the treasures hidden in the dense forest are really that large in quantity?”

“I don’t know the specific amount, but based on Mu Zhe’s reaction at that time, he should have lost more than half his property,” Chi Teng said. “He knows I’m here, and he knows I’m able to understand the purpose behind the ransom note. Maybe there really is that much.”

Liu Xianche thought to himself, first they used the Ghost Boys to force them once, and then they used Commander Ku to force them a second time. It seemed that the theft of his property was truly a thorn in Mu Zhe’s heart. Looking at Liang Shu, he saw that the other’s brow was slightly furrowed, as if he was pondering Chi Teng’s words, so he said: “Your Highness, do you intend to agree to Mu Zhe’s request?”

Liang Shu said: “This would not be harmful to us.”

By agreeing, they could firstly buy some time temporarily for Ku You, and secondly, the huge amount of wealth in the forest was the common people’s wealth that the evil cult had plundered for many years. There was no reason for it to be returned to Mu Zhe, and also no reason for it to be given to some fantastical jungle tribe. After all, there was a need for money everywhere in Dayan.

Previously, he had just thought it was a few dozen boxes of gold and silver, so he didn’t pay much attention to it. But looking at the request issued by Mu Zhe, no matter how he calculated it, it seemed that he must pay attention now.

Gao Lin and Cheng Suyue were not surprised by this, and knew that the prince would definitely want to steal the money.

But a new question arose: how would they steal the money? Mu Zhe, an old zombie who had been wandering around the forest miasma all day long, couldn’t compete with that mysterious tribe. It could only be more troublesome for ordinary people. They couldn’t really send in the army to burn the mountain and clear the forests indiscriminately, could they?

Everyone was unsure as to what decision Liang Shu would make in the end.

“All things have spirits,” Liu Xian’an said during lunch. “It is not an easy thing to kill them all.”

Liang Shu pulled his thoughts back and knocked on the other’s head: “What are you thinking about? How could I really go and burn the mountain?”

Liu Xian’an said “En,” and asked: “Then what are your plans?”

“I was thinking about the batch of wind wings you made when we attacked Huang Wangxiang’s rebels.” Liang Shu said: “If they can be made larger, a little easier to control, and fly a hundred or a thousand li in the wind, we could find the specific location of the jungle tribe at high altitude.”

It was a good idea. Liu Xian’an said: “But the wind wings can’t fly hundreds or thousands of li. Perhaps people in the future will be able to fly such a distance, but we certainly can’t right now.”

“It’s just something I thought about.” Liang Shu picked up his chopsticks for him. “Okay, eat your meal first.”

“But we can improve the wind wings to make them fly higher,” Liu Xian’an said. “As long as you fly high enough, you can see farther.”

“What if it gets blown away by the wind?”

“Can it be fixed in place with a rope?”

Liu Xian’an didn’t waste any time, and didn’t even eat well. He just wiped his mouth and ran to the study to draw diagrams. Liu Xianche was also in the study. Because his patient had been kidnapped, he was in a very gloomy mood and seemed to be enveloped in thunder and lightning. From time to time, there would be a ripping sound. He asked his little brother: “Why are you running?”

“I want to recreate a kind of wind wing.” Liu Xian’an gestured, “Like a kite. Two people can sit on it.”

Liu Xianche already knew that he had used wind wings to assist Liang Shu in attacking a city, so he didn’t rebuke this idea that sounded like a daydream, but took the initiative to clear half the table and watch his brother draw diagrams. The sun outside the window gradually disappeared. A-Ning went into the room and lit a lamp. Liu Xian’an rubbed his sore eyes, took a refreshing pill into his mouth, and continued to draw.

A-Ning said: “Young Master, please rest for a while.”

“I must hurry,” Liu Xian’an said. “Before the fourth day of the fourth month.”

“What is the significance of the fourth day of the fourth month?”

“That’s what is written on the stone wall,” Liu Xian’an said. “The ‘immortals’ who founded the Valley of Ten Faces descended to earth on the fourth day of the fourth month. According to the records, every year on this day, the forest will be glorious and the white fog will dissipate. It sounds like the sun will shine brightly and the miasma will be reduced, so our vision will be the clearest.”

“But there are only a few days left until the fourth day of the fourth month.”

“That is why I must hurry.”

It was then that First Young Master Liu discovered that when his lazy brother became diligent, he was no different from every other disciple in Baihe Mountain Village. With a cloth apron hanging on his chest, he sometimes lay at the table writing and drawing, and sometimes ran to the courtyard to guide the craftsmen. He forgot to sleep and eat, and often when he returned to his room in the middle of the night, his entire body was shaking.

Liu Xianche could only advise: “Don’t get too tired.”

Liu Xian’an raised his head and looked at the prototype of the wind wing in mid-air. The words he spoke were casual and perfunctory, and his appearance was exactly the same as when he would lay in the waterside pavilion.

“Get up and move.”

“En, en.”

“Go back to sleep.”

“En, en.”

It could be seen that he suffered the ruler less.

The thirty-six wind wings were finally completed on time, and were arranged neatly along the edge of the dense, maze-like forest.

On the fourth day of the fourth month, Liu Xianche also boarded a wind wing. He held a telescope in his hand and was accompanied by an Imperial guard. His boy servant eyed the huge wooden frame and felt very unsure, whispering to his young master that he should wait below. Liu Xianche didn’t listen. He tightened the belt around his waist and carefully studied the telescope’s use. Another boy pulled his companion aside and criticized: “The Second Young Master made this with his own hands. How could the First Young Master not sit on it? You really don’t get it.”

In addition to Liu Xianche, Gao Lin, Cheng Suyue, Chang Xiaoqiu, and others also rode on the wind wings. Liang Shu adjusted the telescope and handed it to Liu Xian’an: “Just sit still.”

Second Young Master Liu was not afraid. After all, he was a person who could fly up to 90,000 li without any problem, and this wind wing was still far away from that. As the mountain wind grew stronger and stronger, the wind wings gradually swelled and finally staggered off the ground!

“Cough, cough!” Chang Xiaoqiu was choked by the wind and coughed. Under the dazzling sunshine and strong wind, he could hardly open his eyes. It took him a long time to adapt, and then he could barely open them a crack.

The steel cable was stretched to its longest position, and the wind wing stopped at its highest point. He glanced down, and his legs and feet suddenly became weak, his heart beating like a drum.

The soldier to the side had no time to pay attention to him, and concentrated on observing carefully with the telescope. Chang Xiaoqiu also closed his eyes and calmed down, imitating him by looking into the distance.

The forest was lush and green.

There was nothing unusual at first, just large tracts of undulating forest land with no trace of human life. But as the miasma of white fog was gradually blown away, the sun became stronger and stronger. At noon, a golden color suddenly appeared deep in the dense forest. It reflected back in a dazzling manner, as if gold and gems were scattered all over the ground.

Gao Lin was stunned, wondering if he had also been infected with Ku You’s eye disease.

On another wind wing, Cheng Suyue was also shocked. She had thought that the ghost story carved on the stone wall was just a poor scholar’s fantasy. Was there really so much luxury? Even if Mu Zhe’s wealth was really stolen, they wouldn’t just spread it carelessly on the ground.

Liu Xian’an looked at it carefully with the telescope and said: “That’s a lot of money.”

Among the group of people, the only one who didn’t react was Liu Xianche. Due to the angle, the mountain of gold couldn’t be seen in this direction, but he could hear a sharp signal flare. It was agreed upon in advance that if there was a discovery, they would proceed to the second step of the plan.

The Imperial guard beside Liu Xianche said happily: “It seems that the prince and the others have found traces of the jungle tribe!”

The signal flare trailed a long tail of sound behind it and disappeared into the clouds. The people on the other wind wings also became busy at once. They took out their suonas from their waists and, facing the thousands of li of sky, they sucked in their breaths and began to blow. From “A Hundred Birds Pay Homage to the Phoenix” to “Carrying the Sedan Chair,” they played as loudly as they wanted. This was the most professional gong and drum troupe in the village. Gao Lin had specially picked them up from Old Lady Zhou…..or Zhang. In short, he specially picked them up from someone else’s birthday party.

Along with the sound of the sonorous music, several huge ventilated curtains were also opened one after another. On them were big characters written by Second Young Master Liu himself. Joined together, they formed the condition set by His Royal Highness Xiao Wang – come out and talk within three days.

It was difficult to say how the jungle tribe felt after this combination of punches, but the soldiers in the military camp and the villagers in the Valley of Ten Faces were truly shocked by this combat strategy — it should be called a combat strategy, but it was so unique. It had a comprehensive effect that was fantastical, majestic, earthly, divine, and amusing. In any case, no one had ever thought that a battle could be fought like this.

Liu Xian’an also thought it was quite fun, and said: “Only the prince could come up with such a method.”

Liang Shu put an arm around his shoulders: “Aren’t I amazing?”

“Possibly.”

“How in the world is it still ‘possibly?’”

“It is unknown whether the people in the forest will come out.”

“They will definitely come out.”

Now that their location had been exposed, it would be much easier for the garrison to enter the forest rather than searching blindly before. Even if there was miasma, it may not be impossible to reach into the depths. After all, the difference in difficulty between cutting down one tree and cutting down ten thousand acres of forest was obvious.

“A Hundred Birds Pay Homage to the Phoenix” played all afternoon. It wasn’t until sunset when the white fog gathered again that the people below pulled the wind wings back.

As soon as Liu Xianche landed, he rode a horse to another wind wing and asked what was going on in the forest.

“There really is a mountain of gold in the forest.” Gao Lin described, “The entire land was shining. I looked at it all afternoon, and now my eyes are full of money.”

Liu Xianche asked: “You’re saying they used gold to pave the ground?”

“Yes, ah.” Gao Lin said, “When we flew high, we could see a huge area.”

Now that the message had been given, the next step was to wait and see if there was a reply within three days. And Liang Shu did not squander these three days. Each day, he ordered people to hold up big characters and shout, no matter whether it could be seen clearly through the white fog. In any case, writing them didn’t cost much, and the suona team was of high quality and low price.

At the same time, he also drew a route on the map. If there was no movement in the forest, the garrison would begin to attack in the early morning of the fourth day. Logging carts and gunpowder were continuously transported, and the entire camp was filled with the pungent scent of sulfur.

Liu Xian’an sneezed a series of times, covered his nose with a cloth, and continued to lie on the table and study the map. After studying it for a while, he looked up at the person standing by the window: “Da-ge, you’ve been standing there a long time. Are you worried about Commander Ku?”

“I’m thinking about something else.” Liu Xianche considered for a moment and decided to tell his little brother. “Five years ago, I went to the Chuqiu City free clinic, where I met a group of young men and women. They were personable and good-looking, and came to me with a child in their arms.”

The child cried without stopping. It was covered in rashes all over its body, had a high fever, and vomited yellow liquid. The symptoms looked frightening. Other doctors didn’t dare to take them in, for fear of contracting the plague, and some even went to the government office to drive these outsiders away. In the end, Liu Xianche personally came forward and insisted on keeping them in the hospital.

“I later cured the child, and his relatives sent a whole box of treasures worth more than ten thousand gold.”

Liu Xianche naturally refused to accept it, and only took two round jade pieces as payment for his treatment. But the other party was adamant, and even grabbed a handful of pearls from the little baby and threw them into the arms of the miracle doctor, saying: “We have a lot of these things in our home. They are all spread on the forest floor. Take them!”

The adults quickly took the little baby away, and Liu Xianche didn’t take these words to heart. He still had many things to do, so he only left his medicine boy to deal with the other party. In the end, he was left with a dozen silver ingots that he donated to the Chuqiu City free clinic.

Liu Xianche asked: “Could it be them?”

Liu Xian’an held his elder brother’s hand: “It’s possible. If it’s really them, then they will be very grateful to Da-ge.”

“That’s not necessarily the case,” Liu Xianche said. “After I cured the child, they wanted me to marry.”

Liu Xian’an’s eyelid twitched, but he felt that this was normal. Even though his elder brother always beat him, he didn’t beat others. He was good-looking, had good medical skills, came from a good family, and had a good education. Naturally, he was more popular than even the lieutenant general.

Of course Liu Xianche didn’t agree. He was annoyed, and felt that this group of people was simply incomprehensible, so he took a carriage and left that night.

Liu Xian’an put forth a bold hypothesis based on the large pile of idle books he had read. It is possible that when they put forward negotiation conditions at this time, they will exchange Da-ge for the mountain of gold and take him away to be married.

As a result, he successfully earned three rulers for himself. It hurt for a long time, and he was very depressed.

A-Ning commented: “The beating you received this time was not unfair at all.”

Liu Xian’an ignored him, wrapping himself in a quilt and turning his back toward him. Alas, everyone in the world is too dense. They can’t talk to me or listen to me.

A-Ning grabbed the quilt with both hands and shook it: “Young Master, you’re going to sleep now? His Highness is still waiting for you to go over for dinner.”

Liu Xian’an said: “I’ll lie down for a while.”

“Your hand won’t be less red if you lie down.”

“It’s already not red anymore.”

“……”

“Hu.”

A-Ning had a severe headache and had to send someone to report the news to the prince.

After a while, Liang Shu came to the door in person. He bent down and took the person out, holding him as he sat on the edge of the bed. “Tell me, why did you get beaten this time?”

Liu Xian’an was indeed not asleep. He held Liang Shu’s neck with one arm and roughly recounted the conversation he had earlier with his elder brother.

“There is such a strange thing?” Liang Shu was surprised to hear this. “Are they really the same group of people?”

“It’s hard to say, but there are not many in the world who use gold bricks to pave the ground.”

“Then this is interesting.” Liang Shu said, “Between the grace of saving a life and the hatred of refusing a marriage, the former should be heavier, right?”

“What if the other party holds a grudge instead of being grateful?”

“As long as they are willing to come.” Liang Shu patted the person in his arms. “All right, let’s stop talking about this and go eat first.”

“My hand hurts a little.”

“Let’s see. Hiss, how could it be beaten so red?”

“It’s fine, this wasn’t the hand that was beaten.”

“…….”

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T/N: Sometimes when I’m translating, the Mandarin and English get jumbled in my head and I start typing some unholy amalgamation that reads like I’m having a stroke.

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Chapter Ninety-Nine << Table of Contents >> Chapter One Hundred One

Everyone looked at the situation inside the gauze tent, but nobody dared to come forward and help.

Inside the gauze tent, as early as when Bai Su opened his mouth, Huo Fenglie had let go of Liu Zhenqing’s wrist as if he had woken up with a start.

But there was still a handprint on Liu Zhenqing’s wrist, and it could be seen how much force he had used just now.

A low, suppressed apology came from Huo Fenglie’s mouth, which made Liu Zhenqing even more unsettled.

Liu Zhenqing had many thoughts in his mind, and decided that just in case, it was better to give in quickly and pretend in order to eliminate suspicion.

Liu Zhenqing’s expression was tense as he raised his eyes slightly. His uneasiness was vivid, as if he wanted to kneel down on the spot. “General Huo, I’m sorry, I…..I will never touch it again. I didn’t mean it just now. I just saw Young Master Bai playing with it and thought it was fine, so I……”

Looking at the panicked Liu Zhenqing, Bai Su first said: “It’s fine, it’s fine. Zhanyuan…..”

Huo Fenglie was stunned for a moment, and looked down at Liu Zhenqing with a slight frown. “I was impolite. Young Master Liu, go ahead. The promise made still stands, so you can rest assured.”

This meant there was no need to worry. If Rong Shiming caused trouble, he would still help.

“Many thanks, General Huo, many thanks.” Liu Zhenqing immediately performed a wave of profound gratitude.

But Huo Fenglie didn’t seem to want to look any further, and just waved his hand for Liu Zhenqing to leave.

“What happened?” Bai Su frowned and looked at Huo Fenglie. “It’s not like you to have such a big reaction. After all, Young Master Liu didn’t provoke you maliciously, it was unintentional.”

“It’s nothing, I just haven’t seen someone twist a Rubik’s Cube with one hand, so I was a little surprised,” Huo Fenglie said calmly.

Bai Su was stunned for a moment. Although he felt this was far-fetched, he shook his head helplessly. “My elder brother always twisted it with one hand. Many people think this is nicer to look at.”

“Is that so?”

“And what’s the problem even if he twisted it with one hand? Did it provoke you?” Bai Su was puzzled. “Although you didn’t play with us much when you were a child, I remember that you were very good at it. When this thing was popular, you were the best at it. You could even twist it blindly. Why haven’t you tried twisting it with one hand?”

Huo Fenglie shook his head, and Bai Su felt that he was more and more strange.

Of course, twisting it with one hand was nothing, but everyone’s first twisting technique was different. The direction of twisting, which row or column to start from, inside to outside, or outside to inside, everyone was different. Few people would notice this.

But there was something about Liu Xiaozhu…..Was it a coincidence or……

“Archery? Is this really the competition?” Bai Su’s voice sounded again.

Huo Fenglie’s brow furrowed, and hesitation flashed across his face. His probing eyes once again focused on the person who was leaving.

Liu Zhenqing eyed the servants bringing in bows and arrows with a subtle look on his face. He wasn’t good at archery. Completely inaccurate. When he was studying at the Imperial Academy, he was an existence that the martial instructor ignored, and being trained by Liu Feihan for a long time still had no effect. Li Xingruo was better than him. She pointed at him every day and said sarcastically that Er-gou would be more accurate than him after three days of training.

Was this Rong Shiming’s way of cheating? He just happened to pick something he wasn’t good at. If it really was such a simple competition, it would be inappropriate to ask Huo Fenglie for help. But the battle was not lost even if he didn’t win. He had tricked Rong Shiming before. As long as he pretended to be calm, he might be able to trick him into changing it to something else.

Liu Zhenqing pretended to be very adept, admiring the bows and arrows, but he was actually flustered inside. However, the third Liu family cousin actually cooperated with him. Although he spoke in a low tone, his voice was very loud.

“It’s archery? That’s great. Although First Cousin doesn’t have the strength to truss a chicken, his accuracy is surprisingly good.”

These words naturally reached Rong Shiming’s ears.

Liu Zhenqing’s heart was in torment as he waited for him to call for a change, but he only waited until Rong Shiming stepped forward to directly explain the competition method. Liu Zhenqing lamented his luck, and was about to think of another way when he heard Rong Shiming say: “This time, let’s compete to see who has more guts!”

Liu Zhenqing: ? ? ?

The corners of Rong Shiming’s lips rose proudly, and he said: “We will each find a person to hold a bow and shoot arrows, and we will stand in front of the tree with three fruits on our head and hands. Just let the bow holder hit the targets without closing your eyes. If anyone moves and causes the fruit to fall, or the bow holder misses the shot, it will be considered a failure.”

Liu Zhenqing’s mood at the moment was really difficult to describe in words. He wanted to laugh but felt that it was impolite, and his expression was a little distorted due to holding it back. 

There was such a good thing? He wasn’t hallucinating, right?

“Right here? Then it’s okay if I ask General Huo for help?” Liu Zhenqing earnestly inquired, disbelieving.

What was going on in that little head? He wanted to change their hostility into friendship.

Rong Shiming looked at Liu Zhenqing’s ‘unsightly’ expression and sneered, saying as if he had the winning ticket: “Whatever.” But his eyes said that even if Huo Fenglie was invited, Liu Xiaozhu would not have the guts to compete.

Seeing Rong Shiming’s confident expression, Liu Zhenqing really didn’t understand him. The game was quite original, ah, but he felt that although the other had some brains, it was not very much.

In this person’s adolescence, it was common for him to hit every shot perfectly. Could it be that he didn’t know?

Liu Zhenqing’s thoughts had already begun to diverge, and he wondered if he had any other tricks. “What if there’s a draw?”

“Then just go again…..”

“We don’t have time to compete again!” Liu Zhenqing quickly interrupted. “If it’s a draw, how about we cancel out everything?”

Rong Shiming said indifferently: “All right.”

As he spoke, Rong Shiming raised his head and summoned the leader of the guards of the First Princess’s palace. “I choose him!”

Without saying a word, Liu Zhenqing bowed to Huo Fenglie to ask the general to come out.

In fact, at this time, Liu Zhenqing had a few doubts and wondered if Huo Fenglie would reject him for some unknown reason, but this was unfounded.

Huo Fenglie also got up and walked smoothly over.

Liu Zhenqing’s head was truly full of questions. Suddenly, the second cousin stretched out his hand and pulled Liu Zhenqing away hastily.

When Liu Zhenqing looked over, he saw that the two people who had been normal just now had extremely ugly expressions.

“Are you really able to do this?” The second cousin asked as if facing a formidable enemy.

“Why couldn’t I?” Liu Zhenqing asked in surprise.

The third cousin said: “He lost his memories. Maybe it will work!”

“Hey, can’t you tell me what happened? Don’t let me face a sudden accident when the time comes.”

The second cousin opened his mouth and explained. Liu Xiaozhu would never dare to agree to this competition. Not only was Liu Xiaozhu mediocre in courage, but the only bold thing he had done was probably to pursue Huo Fenglie. The main thing was that he once encountered an accident, which left a psychological shadow regarding bows and arrows.

This was caused by an attempted assassination when Liu Xiaozhu and Huo Fenglie first met. If not for that chance encounter, Liu Xiaozhu would have died under the indiscriminate arrows. Later, the Liu family discovered that as soon as Liu Xiaozhu saw a bow and arrow pointed in his direction, his whole body would tremble, but he was fine when holding the bow and arrow himself. Therefore, according to Liu Xiaozhu’s situation, it was impossible for him to win such a competition.

The second and third cousins thought it was a coincidence that Rong Shiming had arranged this game, but Liu Zhenqing instantly understood. According to his previous conjecture, his two misfortunes were arranged by Rong Shiming. Naturally, he would have paid attention to the subsequent situation, so it was not surprising that Rong Shiming knew of his weakness.

Thus, the game was set up.

But had he never considered that if Liu Zhenqing had lost his memory, he wouldn’t be afraid anymore?

“What’s with that look you have now? Don’t be afraid,” the third cousin said anxiously.

Liu Zhenqing shook his head in a relaxed manner, but the second cousin was still pessimistic, and said: “Since you’ve chosen General Huo, you must trust him and not move. We are relying on you.”

Liu Zhenqing didn’t quite understand the second cousin’s worries. It wasn’t until people around him started talking that he understood.

“How about it? Who will win? Do you want to bet?”

“Bet on what? If you think with your brain, you should know that it must be Young Master Rong.”

“That’s right, Young Master Rong is a bit of a bully, and all these games are designed with a bias toward him. It’s so despicable. How could a normal person not be afraid at all when faced with an unfamiliar person aiming a bow and arrow and shooting at close range? How could they watch helplessly as a murderous weapon was coming toward them? Even if Liu Xiaozhu hadn’t lost his memory, it would be hard to say.”

“The key to this isn’t a test of whether the opponent is accurate, but whether the target can remain still. Would you dare? No matter what, I wouldn’t dare.”

“For such a test, only if the people involved are very familiar and trust each other will they definitely work together properly. This isn’t the first time Young Master Rong has played. He has worked with the guard leader every time and has never lost, and he’s trained to the point where he is no longer afraid. As for Liu Xiaozhu, tsk tsk tsk…..”

“I think it was a mistake for him to choose General Huo. Who dares face the arrows of General Huo without his legs shaking? He’s so imposing that it’s terrifying, ah. Even enemy generals wouldn’t have the guts.”

“Liu Xiaozhu is probably already panicking. He only considered whether he could hit the target, not whether his own courage would be enough at the time, hahaha.”

Everyone gathered together and couldn’t help but laugh at Liu Zhenqing’s desperate panic.

“But it’s also strange, didn’t the two of them have a disagreement just now? How does Liu Xiaozhu dare? Is he really not afraid that General Huo will kill him by mistake?”

Liu Zhenqing: …….

Could he say that he used to be as good as Huo Feihan and Li Xingruo before?

Because of his great trust in the Huo family, Liu Zhenqing didn’t realize that this was something he needed to be afraid of.

Now Liu Zhenqing understood what was going on with Rong Shiming’s Thousand Locks game, which he had considered to be a sure win. Liu Zhenqing looked at Rong Shiming with amusement in his heart, and as expected, he received a look that said he was sure to win.

“Is it reliable?” The First Princess asked Rong Shiming, who had stepped forward. “There can be no accidents this time.”

Rong Shiming sneered: “If he still has a psychological shadow, he will lose. If the amnesia erased it, then he and Huo Fenglie have only met a few times, and even his love is gone. How can he dare to stand under his arrows? Even if he agrees readily, he will definitely give in when the critical moment comes. I have neer seen anyone be able to withstand the intimidation of Huo Fenglie when he is using a weapon! What’s more, wasn’t it because of the Rubik’s Cube that they had an altercation just now?”

The First Princess said with a scoff: “That’s right. The two just argued and won’t trust each other.”

“Cousin, thank you very much for teaching me how to play this game before,” Rong Shiming said with a smile.

A trace of discomfort flashed across the face of the First Princess. They had always had this game in their house, and all the guards had been trained. Actually, this was because the treacherous minister had played this way with the former General Huo and Li Xingruo before. At that time, they also liked to compete on horseback. The First Princess had lost once. She also refused to admit defeat and wanted to compete again, but never had the chance.

And on the other side, the reactions of the people around him gave Liu Zhenqing a reference. He remembered the previous crisis and suddenly shifted his eyes. When Huo Fenglie came over, Liu Xiaozhu immediately feigned fear and nervousness, but forced a smile, which made him appear to be timid and unable to fully trust Huo Fenglie. It could be said that he was completely different from the Liu Zhenqing before.

Huo Fenglie didn’t show any reaction, but his eyes darkened. “Just stand firm later, Young Master Liu.”

“I’m really sorry to trouble you, General Huo. I will cooperate honestly.” Liu Zhenqing’s expression was pained.

At this time, Rong Shiming had already asked the leader of the guards to choose his bow and arrows.

Huo Fenglie also walked directly to the shelf, picked up a bow at random, and settled on it after making sure that it was sound. Liu Zhenqing followed Huo Fenglie around like a little wife. His weak appearance really didn’t make him look like a courageous person.

Rong Shiming on the side sneered, saying at once: “Forget it, let’s give you a little more time to think about whether to admit defeat directly. After all, a sword has no eyes, so if you get hurt…..”

This was truly straightforward intimidation. Liu Zhenqing must play along. His face instantly became aggrieved, and his hands even shook.

Huo Fenglie looked at Liu Zhenqing. His tone seemed a little distant as he said: “Young Master Liu, as long as you don’t make any big movements, you won’t be harmed.”

Liu Zhenqing waved his hands and said: “It’s all right, I won’t move at all. Even if you shoot me, I won’t blame you. I just want to apologize for what happened just now.”

Huo Fenglie: “I…..am not angry.”

“Of course, of course, my lord is benevolent. I sincerely apologize,” Liu Zhenqing said, smiling obsequiously.

Huo Fenglie lost interest in talking.

On the other side, Rong Shiming walked in a high and mighty way to the tree and passed by the audience area, where he also gave a proud smile to Jiang Zi’er, who had been silently watching the game.

Jiang Zi’er curled her lips slightly, and it seemed as if she finally breathed a sigh of relief. She actually looked more certain that Rong Shiming would win than before.

Liu Zhenqing understood after just one glance. Jiang Zi’er…..sure enough, she knew the whole story behind his assassination. She truly had the most poisonous heart among women.

Rong Shiming stood still, holding three fruits. If he moved even slightly, they might fall down. And only ten meters away, the arrow could be clearly seen, which was quite frightening. But Rong Shiming remained bold, and showed no timidity at all. He said: “Let’s start!”

The guard raised his bow at the command and instantly shot an arrow. The fruit on his head was penetrated and fell, but Rong Shiming didn’t move at all. Instead, he gave an easy smile. Everything went smoothly, and the people around him cheered at once.

At this time, Bai Su came to them and whispered to Huo Fenglie: “It’s obvious that you are really going to hit the mark with every shot. Zhanyuan, stare at that arrogant boy and scare him into trembling!”

Huo Fenglie glanced at Bai Su, and then actually stared at Rong Shiming. But Rong Shiming was extremely focused and only looked at the guard. Thus, the second arrow hit.

The cheers all around grew louder. Even the First Princess began to leisurely drink tea.

“Tsk, it seems……at most, it will be a draw. Young Master Liu, you must trust the person you chose. As long as you cooperate, Zhanyuan can guarantee you a draw.” Bai Su comforted Liu Zhenqing, who seemed to be uneasy.

Liu Zhenqing lowered his head without even a tremor of his eyelashes. Instead, he glanced at the guard shooting arrows nearby and chuckled. Bai Su was smart, but not smart enough to grasp the idea. 

What was the use of looking at Rong Shiming with murderous eyes? 

Of course it depended on…..

The third time the bow was drawn, Liu Zhenqing suddenly panicked and said: “General Huo, look at the guard’s archery posture.”

As soon as these words came out, the guard’s hand suddenly shook, and the arrow flew out with an almost swaying motion.

After all, his body had been tense with General Huo standing a few steps away, and he couldn’t help but pay attention to him since before the game even started, instinctively guarding against Huo Fenglie’s every move. Now that he heard he was going to be watched, he felt as nervous and at a loss as when his master was examining his abilities.

“Careful!” The guard knew that something was about to happen as soon as the arrow was shot, and quickly shouted out.

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Chapter Twenty-Three << Table of Contents >> Chapter Twenty-Five